JTL's Animorph Series!
by James the Lesser
Summary: Because of the blizzard I was snowed in with no power.  So I got out an old book series and started reading!  I read through and as I did I got the ideas for my own series!  I start at book 27, so 1-26 happen, and then 27 is where my series starts!
1. Chapter 1

**Animorphs 27 The Return**

**Author James the Lesser**

**I do not own the characters, Applegate and her many Ghost Writers do! ****But I do hope any who read this will enjoy, even if I change things up!**

**Hey, I just realized... the website doesn't record or keep the marks that Applegate used for indicating a thoughtspeak. Not sure what I should do, uh, let me try... Ok, using ( and ) for the thought speak. It is the only solution I can think of.**

**1**

Hello, I'm Rachel. You know the drill no last name, no city, not even state or nation. Although I remember putting stuff about the president before so I guess that narrows it down. Well, any ways...

Cassie and I were in her back yard near the barn. "So, you and Jake? Any thing happen since the kiss on that weird Dr. Seuss planet?"

"No, we haven't even talked. Rachel it has only been two days. And I'm not sure if it was any thing more then a spur of the moment. I was just so happy too see him still alive." It was true she was really happy he was alive. I was so scared he had been killed and Cassie, Jake, like each other you know in a special way. So it must have been twice as hard for her.

"Oh come on! He comes over and helps you much the stables, shove a pill down the throat of a wolf, and even your parents like him."

"My dad likes a Jake that likes his doom chilli. A Jake that is actually the morph of a certain alien." We both laughed. Ax was always interesting if not entertaining.

"You like him and he likes you what's the big deal?"

"And how many dates have you and Tobias been on?"

"That is totally different. We haven't shared a mouse under the moon or any thing but we uh, hang out, alone." Always as birds. He didn't like being human. He didn't have the vision or the freedom of flying.

(Really?)

"Huh?" It didn't sound like Tobias or Ax. Oh no please don't let it be Jake. My cousin wasn't exactly big at showing emotions.

(You two haven't forgotten about me have you? It has only been a month or two hasn't it? Of course I did lose track on that island.)

"No, David, how did you get off the island?"

(The better question would be how did I get my morphing powers back?) I saw him finally in his lion morph. (What? Do I have a little blood on my face?)

"No, you can't be here. And the Ellimist wouldn't give you your morphing powers back." Oh crap oh crap oh crap this can't be happening. How could David get off the island and get his morphing powers back? Should we morph? He could get us in mid morph. We didn't have enough time.

(Think bigger and badder.)

"Crayak. He wants revenge on us for making his main shock troops useless." Cassie would be right. Crayak hated us. This would be his perfect revenge.

(You know better then any one you have many enemies. Powerful ones. Now how about you make this interesting and morph? Bear versus lion? Wolf versus lion? Bring it.)

He was giving us a chance? Bear or elephant? "Rachel, both go wolf."

"What? We can take him."

"My mom is home. If she sees a bear and wolf fighting a lion it will be hard too explain. Wolf morph then run." She was right. How could we fight and explain what happened too her mom?

"Fine David." I focused on the wolf. Soon my nose started growing out and gaining hair all over my body.

The morphing process isn't painful just creepy. Hearing the bones shift and crack and seeing Cassie morph knowing I was going through the same process.

When it was done I could see, hear, and smell so much more. Including the gasp of Cassie's mom. She had seen us morph. Which defeated the purpose of morphing in to wolves. If I had known she would see us I would have morphed my grizzly bear.

(Run!) Maybe Cassie hadn't noticed. I hoped David hadn't noticed it either.

We ran and ran as hard as we could. David's lion was a powerful hunter and could kill us one on one but he couldn't catch us. Wolves are incredible runners. We could run for miles and not tire. But David wasn't a lion he was a human and he wouldn't give up.

We ran deeper and deeper in to the woods. We were putting as much space between us and Cassie's farm as possible. (Tobias! Ax!) Cassie was screaming for back up. We needed it. But Tobias couldn't hurt him. Ax and his tail would be deadly but he would need help.

(Keep running you're making this fun for me!)

(Cassie he has a time limit. He may have morphed a minute before showing up or an hour before. We can run and wait for his time limit then attack.)

(What do we do? We can attack him but then he can just morph again.)

(I, I meant, of course not we can't do that.)

(You meant attack and kill him? Rachel are you insane?)

Maybe but who wouldn't be after all this time? David was an enemy unlike any other. He knew all our secrets and could morph. (Maybe but David can't be taken lightly. We kill Taxxon and Hork Bajir by the buttload.)

(I, yes, but, I mean, we can't.)

(You aren't a vegetarian and neither are I. If you want I'll do it.) Cassie might not see it or feel it but I did. After what happened with him last time I couldn't risk it. I hated him. I hated him more then I hated the Yeerks. I hated him more then the lawyers who were part of my parent's divorce. He made me think Tobias was dead. He made me cry over Tobias's death. No one would cry over his.

(Rachel we don't do that we don't kill humans.)

(David isn't human.) I would do it. I could do it. I had the mighty powerful jaws of a wolf. I could crush his neck with a single bite.

We ran and ran some more but started slowing down when we started losing him. His muscles must be tiring. Mine felt fine. I had more then enough power left for killing him.

Ha! Finally we had him. (Cassie keep going looking for help.)

(Don't kill him!) I lied.

(I won't.) She kept going as I turned on the demorphing David.

David was wearing his morphing outfit. "So now what? Are you Cassie or my little Rachel?" I raised my hackles and growled. "Rachel how are you? Sorry we didn't talk back there but Cassie was there."

(You messed up.) I started walking towards him.

"Ooo the big bad wolf. You'll huff and puff but you won't touch me I'm a human." His smirk made me angry.

(I'm sorry David but you aren't human.) I leapt at him and he raised his arm up. I bit down hard and could hear the bone break as my teeth clamped hard.

"Aaaa!" I kept my mouth on his arm and started shaking. I heard his shoulder dislocate and I kept shaking harder. Blood filled my mouth as his screams echoed across the trees.

(Stop!) I heard the voice. It sounded like Tobias but I didn't care.

(Stop it Rachel!) Another wolf slammed in to me. I lost my grip on David's arm.

(No let me kill him before he escapes!)

(We will stop him.) Ax was here.

"She's a psycho! She was going to kill me!"

(She still might.) Ax whipped his tail forward and stopped his blade just under David's neck.

"Hey Ax-Man you won't kill me either and you won't be capturing me again." He backed away. He called Ax's bluff and won.

(Let me kill him now!) I was going to attack again when Cassie bit down on my back leg.

"Bye losers. I'll be back." He did it in a horrible Austrian accent as he morphed in to a golden eagle and took off.

When he was long gone Cassie let me go and we morphed back. "I could have stopped him. I could have made it so he couldn't hurt any of us."

"We don't kill humans."

"He isn't human Cassie."

As much as I hate him I agree with Cassie. Sorry Rachel. Tobias staid up in a tree out of my grasp. I hated them all. David got away from me.

"I would have done it so none of you would have his blood on your hands."

"We don't kill humans. Even David."

"We tried before. When we were desperate. I'll do it."

(He flew out of my sight. He knows well enough how well I can see.)

"I could have done it! I would have done it! I don't care."

(I do, we do.) I couldn't win. There was no point in fighting about it now.

"I know, Tobias, Cassie, Ax, thanks. But we must tell Jake and Marco." And Cassie's mom. Oh man, Cassie didn't know yet did she? "And Cassie, I, your mom."

"What? What about her?"

"She saw."

"Saw? Saw what?"

"Us morph." Her eyes went wide with shock. She hadn't known.

**2**

We went back to Cassie's house. Ax staid back and Tobias flew overhead. Her mom was still standing on the back porch. "What do we do?"

"I don't know."

"She's your mom."

"What would you say to your mom?"

"Uh, work stress got to her? And she couldn't tell any one or she would be locked up in a straight jacket like a former client of hers."

"Yeah and I bet a bear would come and release her as well."

"This is not a time for jokes." But what time was it for? Panic? Confusion?

"Mom?" Cassie walked up to her mom. "Uh, did you see that?"

"I saw you and Rachel turn in to wolves and then a lion chased after you. I did see that right? And now a red tail hawk is following you." Of course she noticed. Cassie's mother was really good with animals.

"Uh, that is our friend. Um, Tobias, say hi to my mom."

(Hello. Yes you are hearing me.)

"I see. Well, hear. I clearly must have breathed in some fungus in the stables. It is causing a reaction I haven't had since the seventies." Her laughter didn't make me feel any better.

"No mom it is real." Cassie sat down next to her mom. I just stood there speechless. "It is really hard too explain or understand but it is real."

"You and Rachel are werewolves?"

"No. We're what Marco calls Animorphs."

"Marco is one too?"

"Mom, um, Rachel go use the phone and call the others." I walked past them and found the phone. Jake was majorly upset and Marco just sounded annoyed about going over to Cassie's farm.

When they got here Cassie's mom was crying. Why I didn't know. "Mom, I'm not taking drugs and neither are you. We can prove it. Tobias can you come down here?" The red tail hawk flew down and landed in the yard.

"This is our friend Tobias. Uh, human form?" He started morphing in to his human self.

He wasn't hunky but he wasn't skinny either. He was cute. Although a little embarrassing standing there in a tight shirt and boxers. "We can't really morph clothes."

"Um, you know all those times you saw me in a leotard? And Rachel? We had just morphed back from some animal."

"So he is your friend? I never saw him before."

"You saw me a lot of times I was just in my normal hawk body."

"So you are a hawk who turns in to a human?"

"Well, complicated." I went over and held his hand. It was rare I could do that.

"And we have a friend who is an alien. His brother gave us the power." I heard footsteps and looked up seeing Jake. He must have morphed because he was wearing the same kind of clothes Tobias was.

"Uh, should we be telling her all of this? What if she's a controller?" Oh crap I didn't even think of that.

"A what?"

(A controller is some one with a Yeerk in their head.) Ax came out of the woods.

"Oh my God!" I was impressed. Cassie's mom got up and threw herself in front of Cassie protecting her from Ax. "Get back what ever you are!"

"Mom calm down he's a friend." Cassie pushed her way past her mother. "Mom, this is Ax, an Andalite. His brother Elfangor gave use the morphing power."

(Hello it is nice seeing you again.)

"I never met you, ever, I'd remember you."

(I was morphed as Prince Jake. I enjoyed the meal called chilli.)

"That was you? I, it did seem odd." She looked over at Jake. "Prince Jake?"

"It is a thing the Andalite's do. Um, we need a plan."

"For what?" I finally spoke. I was so stunned it was hard coming up with any words.

"For keeping her mom away from any one else for three days."

"Why three days? I don't get what you kids are doing but it isn't funny any more." She was panicking now. I would too if it all fell in my lap like this. Oh wait, it had, and I did panic back then.

It took us a few morphs before Cassie's mom finally started calming down and believing us. "And you've been doing this for months?" We all nodded. "And that lion was some one who turned on you." We nodded again. "But he wasn't a Yeerk." We nod again. "Aliens, morphing, parasites, this is all too much."

"Well we need too add a bit more stress on you. I'm sorry but we can't risk you being a controller."

"Some one with a Yeerk in them. Who eats some ray stuff every three days."

"Yes." Cassie had a hand on her mom's hand. I could see her mom's hand shaking. She must be freaking out. I remembered how I shook after I got home from the construction site. "We will go camping ok?"

"Camping? It is the weekend but I have work here."

"No you don't. For the next three days you are camping."

"Because you think I might be a controller?"

"No because we can't take chances of you being a controller." Cassie found it hard, I would too. Accusing her mom of being the enemy.

"But I'm not. I, Cassie, when you were seven, you had a stuffed bunny you called Blue." I remembered that. Cassie loved that doll. Now she had real bunnies she took care of.

"A Yeerk would have all of your memories. It would know every thing you knew." Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry but this is what we must do Cassie's Mom." I didn't really call her that but I can't let you know her real last name. I never felt comfortable calling her Michelle and always called her Misees, well, I can't let you know. "We'll bring you supplies and keep an eye on you at all times."

"But, work, and your father, he must know about this."

"No! You knowing is bad enough. I'm sorry but he can't find out. He could be a controller. You can't tell any one because any one could be a controller."

"But, I mean, one would know wouldn't they?"

"I didn't know my brother Tom was one."

"We didn't know Chapman was one either."

"Chapman? He I could see but your brother? I'm so sorry Jake. Are you sure?"

"Yes. He was taken against his will. We saw him in the Yeerk Pool."

"The what?"

"Uh, stuff we'll explain. We have three days for explaining things ok?" Cassie stood up. "We should pack. Rachel keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't use a phone."

"Well, I, I can just, your father should be told."

"No."

"I mean about us camping. He would get worried if we just disappeared." She was right.

"Cassie and Rachel get the packing done while she writes a note. Tobias and I will keep an eye on her while Ax and Marco look for a good camping place."

"Didn't we just do this like five months ago?" Marco making a bad joke. Of course he never makes a good joke so I should say a worse joke.

(That time we knew Prince Jake was infested.) I watched Marco become an Osprey then follow Ax in to the woods.

I took first watch with Cassie. I was in my Balde Eagle morph while Cassie was a human. She was helping her mom set up a tent. "I understand you're worried but I'm not a Yeerk and neither is your father." She was still in shock, denial.

"Mom we can't know that. They can be any one. They have all of your memories. So we can't ask you some thing only you would know because they would know it."

"And you can't fight them when they are in your head?" She shakes her head.

Sorry Cassie's Mom but we can't take chances. I doubt you are, we all doubt you are, but we can't take chances.

"That is so weird. I can hear you in my head." She looks up and sees me. "So will you be like that all day?"

(No. We have a two hour limit.)

"But your friend Tobias must have been that red tail hawk for a lot longer then that." We hadn't told her every thing yet.

We still weren't sure what we should tell her and not tell her. Of course now that she knew all of us what did it matter? If a Yeerk grabbed her we were screwed. (He's a complicated story.)

"Ok, and that blue centaur you called Ax is one of the good guys?"

"Yes mom. He's our friend."

"So he's your leader?"

"No, Jake is." I saw the twitch of a smile on Cassie's mom's face. "Ax is a cadet, a teen like us."

"But where are the others? Where is that Elf guy or his friends?"

(Dead.)

"Oh. I, how long, I mean, how could you be doing all of this and none of us noticed?"

"We've been careful. Especially Jake since Tom is a Controller. Mom where are the stakes for the tent?" Cassie was going through a green bag.

"Uh, here."

It was weird watching them put the tent up. It seemed so normal except for why they were camping.

I saw the watch on Cassie's wrist. (I have thirty minutes left. I'm going back. Tobias where is Ax?)

(He is still feeding. I'll be fine alone.) I spread my wings and took off.

**3**

At the barn we got another shock. Erik the Chee was waiting for us. "I have bad news."

"So do we but what is your bad news?" Erik was a Chee, an android made by a race of aliens wiped out thousands of years ago. He didn't look like an android because he could project a hologram of a normal teen.

"The Yeerks are getting suspicious about who the Andalite bandits are. Ever since the incident with Tobias they are thinking more and more that some of them may be humans."

"But?"

"Visser Three has beheaded several people for suggesting it. He knows the Andalite Law forbids it. Seerow's Kindness. But several others are moving behind his back."

"How do you know this?" Jake was taking the lead with out even being asked. It was just what he did.

"I can take many forms." His hologram changed in to Chapman then when back to normal. "I have an idea that will protect you but I wanted your permission first."

"We have our own crisis going one, two of them, three, several." Ah yes because the Yeerks weren't enough now we had a loose David and Cassie's mom.

"Then I'll be quick. I can use my hologram and project several Andalite warriors. Another Chee would record it and send it in to a video show. It would air and the Yeerk forces would clearly see six Andalite warriors."

"Wow, sure. Thanks Erik."

"Your welcome Jake. Where is Cassie?"

"She's with her mom. That is one of the crisis we're having."

"May I be of assistance?"

"Uh, maybe. She's on a camping trip for three days," He made the connection.

"Yeerk?"

"We don't know. But she saw us morph. We're making sure she isn't a Yeerk."

"I could ask a fellow Chee too take her place."

"Yeah, cause the weekend is only two days long. I didn't know what we would do on Monday." I had an idea of my own.

"I was wondering. If we ever had to do some thing major that might take a few days couldn't you guys take our place?"

"Yes, we could."

"Or say we have a mission that might run late? That way we don't get grounded."

"And hey, if we had some homework lying around we just couldn't find time for." Marco's goofy smile didn't cover the seriousness of his joke.

I knew how he felt I was behind on homework too. I had hoped with the weekend I would find time for it but now we had Cassie's mom.

"Wait," Jake stepped forward. "You don't normally volunteer like this or come to us with information. Why now?"

"After what we did with the Howler's I realized how much good work I could do. I lost one race to the Howler's and I won't lose another to the Yeerk. I discussed it with the others and we agreed that the dogs would be a race wiped out by the Yeerk. We must protect them as best we can. And you wiped out the race of aliens that exterminated my creators. We Chee can not do enough in gratitude."

"We need all the help we can. A former member, David, just came back with the help of a certain enemy we just pissed off." Crayak had sent his children, the Howler's, after Erik's creators.

"I will help any way I can."

"Ok right now uh, hey, follow Jake and I out to the camp site then send some one else out later. They have the weekend for knowing enough they can pass as Cassie's mom on Monday." Marco and Jake left the barn with Erik leaving me behind.

** 4**

Saturday was going well. Cassie's mom mostly sat and listened as we told her as much as we could. "So Tobias was trapped in his body but got his powers back because of the god like being who can't interfere but does?"

"Yes." Jake was on watch while Cassie went back too check on some of the animals in the barn. Her father was at a meeting and wouldn't be home. Can't be camping and be seen by her dad at the same time.

"And you are the leader huh Prince Jake?"

"Don't call me that."

"Yes Prince Jake." Her joke would have made me laugh if I had been human. "So, now that we're alone, about my daughter," He stiffened. They must not know I was there.

"She's a good fighter but she feels bad about it. She's like our moral compass."

"Not as a fighter, you two."

"I, um, we're friends."

"You two are dating. I saw you two holding hands this morning. And I know it is more then just a friend who comes over and helps her with the barn."

"I, we're just really close friends."

"Jake, I find it nice you can see past her skin color. And my husband and I have no problem with her dating a white boy. But what does your family think? At least your parents since your brother is one of those Yeerk controllers."

"I, it, we're friends. Really close friends."

(Really close friends who kiss?)

"Rachel!"

"Oh, she's here." Cassie's mom looked around before seeing me. "They've kissed?"

(When we were on another planet.)

"You were on another planet? When? How come I didn't notice? I mean, even at the speed of light any planet would be too far away."

"Our friend, the god like being, he did it."

"Oh."

(We saved a race of aliens and stopped another from being vicious killers. It was one of our few clear victories.)

"So you've been off planet?"

"A couple times."

(We don't normally have a choice. Have we ever had a choice when we were taken off planet? First time was when we were captured and taken to the mothership in orbit.)

"Yeah, that wasn't fun."

"How big is it?"

(Pretty big.)

"How come no one sees it? I mean, we have astronauts in outerspace and stuff."

"Cloaking technology. They had this giant truck ship that would fly over the city to the mountains and suck up water. But it was totally invisible."

"And all you have is the power of morphing?"

"And a couple allies." Oh, we never told her about the Chee. They hadn't sent some one out here yet.

(Uh, Cassie's Mom, we have an ally coming out here. I thought they would be out here by now but they haven't made it.) What was taking them so long? Did Erik not know where we were? Did they get lost?

"Allies? More aliens?"

"Androids made by aliens who are all dead."

"Ok and? The god man you called he Illusionist?"

"Ellimist. And the Chee who are androids. And some free Hork Bajir."

"The ones you said are covered in blades?"

(Yes. We could morph in to one for you.) I flew down and demorphed. "I have one."

"A Hork Bajir morph? So like the blood is in your blood? But what if you donated blood?"

"I don't donate. And I'm not sure how that works." I focused on the Hork Bajir. The snake like necks, the blades, the dinosaur feet.

"I tried asking Ax about it before but he doesn't know. He was distracted in class by a girl he thought was special." Cassie's laugh was covered with the sound of my bones grinding and cracking.

When I was a full Hork Bajir I was attacked. "Tseeeer!" Tobias clawed at my head,

(Stop!) I raised my hands and backed away. (Tobias it is me! I was showing Cassie's Mom what a Hork Bajir looked like.) He landed in a tree.

(Sorry. I saw a Hork Bajir creeping up on them.)

(Where is Ax?)

(Leading a Chee here.)

(Ok, Cassie, did you hear Tobias?) She nodded.

When Ax made it with the Chee I recognized them. (Whoa she's a Chee?) She was a cheerleader one grade above us at school.

"Yes I'm a Chee." She, it, walked over to Cassie's mom. "You must be Michelle." The hologram changed so it was a mirror copy of her.

"I, that, I, what are you doing?"

(You can't miss work on Monday so we are asking our allies for help. They produce holograms so they can pass as humans.)

"Or trees." The hologram changed in to a tree. "Or any thing else we want." She morphed back to Cassie's mom.

"Amazing. I, so like, you're here for my schedule?"

"And mannerisms and other knowledge. It will only be one day but I do not want suspicion cast on you."

And so it was. Eventually we got more worried about David then Cassie's mom.

Sunday night I was a Great Horned Owl keeping watch. My Chee replacement was in my room doing my homework. I made sure she would get a couple answers wrong. I was a good student but I wasn't that good.

Cassie's mom got out of the tent and started going off in to the woods. What was she doing? Had we been wrong? Was she a controller this whole time? As an owl I could fly silently.

She went about four hundred feet before stopping and resting against a tree. She started crying. I felt bad watching, listening. This was a private moment for her but we couldn't take the risk.

When she was done crying she went back to the tent. She was trying too be strong for us but when she thought she was alone she broke down. I needed too demorph soon. Ax, are you there?

(I am nearby. She had me worried.)

(Me too.) I landed and demorphed. After a few minutes I morphed back in to the Great Horned Owl.

I was going home after Marco took my place when I heard it. Wings, too loud to be an owl. It was still dark so the sound of wings flapping was off. I turns my head nearly a hundred and eighty degrees. It saved my life.

I dodged David's attack. He started recovering but now I was attacking.

His Golden Eagle morph was bigger and stronger then my Great Horned Owl morph but I was the king of the night.

He dove towards a street lamp but I knew not too follow. The darkness was my friend and the street lamp would steal that. (Try that again David!)

(I will Rachel.) He was gaining altitude again.

But I was the king of the night. His eagle needed thermals for quick ascension. I didn't.

He kept getting closer and closer but I was letting him. I would do it this time. Rip one wing so he couldn't fly. Up high enough the fall would take him out so the others couldn't get mad at me for it. Even if I did it on purpose. (No! David please stop!) Lure him in.

(Never Rachel! What you did too me was horrible. Left me on that island as a mouse. But tonight I'll start my revenge!) Closer and closer as we got higher and higher.

(Now!) I turned and ripped through his right wing with my talons. I heard the bone break as we slammed together. He tried reaching up with his own talons but I pushed away and started flapping harder.

(No! I won't let it end like this!) He was falling now unable too use his broken wing.

But I had made a mistake. I went up too high. I gave him time for demorphing. I don't even think he had demorphed all the way before remorphing. You see the DNA wasn't broken only the wing. But the second it had demorphed he remorphed a completely healed wing.

I started flying for the woods. I wouldn't trick him twice but maybe I could use the trees for cover. (I won't let you get away!) I could hear him coming after me fast.

But once we reached the trees I would be safe. My night vision would let me dodge branches he couldn't see. But he was coming up on me faster then I could fly.

No, no, no. I must do this I couldn't let that, that, monster get me. I had so many rude words going through my head I could hear my mom yelling at me for using them.

The treeline was close but by the sound of his wings he was closer. I needed a little extra speed. Or make him go slower. (Now Tobias!)

(What?) It worked. In the few seconds he spent looking around for Tobias I had reached the trees.

He tried following me but while I could see the branches he couldn't in the darkness. When he crashed I kept going. One brush with death a morph was enough.

**5**

Later that morning I told the others what happened. I hadn't even gone home. I slept in the tent after Cassie and her mom got up. But then the rest came out to the camp site. "He came from out of no where. If I hadn't heard him and turned I would be dead."

"What do we do? Later today my mom will be cleared. But then what?"

"Do you think we can trust her? What if she tells your father?" I had no idea. But thankfully Jake did.

"I asked a Chee to play your father. He'll greet her and get her alone. If she says any thing then we will have a problem."

"I tried telling her it must be a secret but I don't know if she understands how serious this is. She hasn't tried running away so I'm guessing she isn't a Yeerk. But if she talks she'll be one."

"And she knows who we are."

"I don't think she'll talk." I hoped not. After seeing Cassie's mom crying in the woods I think she understood how serious this was. She wouldn't talk.

Later that day we all went back to Cassie's barn. The Chee who was playing Cassie's dad was waiting.

Tobias was watching as a hawk. I was in my cat morph while Jake snuck around as his dog. "Oh hello dear how was work?"

"Fine. How is the barn holding up?"

"The animals are fine. But can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

"I'll go check on the animals." Cassie left for the barn.

They went in to the house. I got in just before the door closed. "What is it Honey?"

"Well, the camping trip, what was it about? You gave me no warning and it just seems strange. Was it Cassie? Or are you covering for yourself?"

"No, it, it was a spur of the moment. Cassie seemed sad about some thing but wouldn't open up. So I took her camping."

"And?"

"She made a fool of herself in front of Jake and was worried he wouldn't like her any more. Silly teenage stuff but for a girl her age it is the world." Wow, great story. She had the whole weekend for coming up with it so I guess it would be good.

"Is that it? Well, those two are close. I enjoy the boy and have no problem with those two dating but if they were doing any thing more serious maybe we should have a talk with them." I heard Jake's heart beat faster. Well, the dog heart beat faster.

"They've only kissed and held hands. But for them it is the most important thing. Remember how you were when you were that age? I remember when I was that young and Curtis Young was all I could dream about." Her husband cleared his throat. "But then I went off to college and met you and forgot about him."

"Well, maybe we should invite him and his family over for dinner. Get too know them better. I'll make some of my chilli he loved so much."

"Oh dear, no, you two would be the only ones who eat it. How about instead we make a roasted chicken? Or a ham, some thing every one would enjoy."

"Isn't Jake's last name," I of course am omitting that part.

"Oh, well, I'm not sure if he follows the faith or not. But his parent's might so I guess no ham. I'll have Cassie call him and see if they are available say, Thursday?"

"That sounds wonderful dear."

It went great until Cassie's real dad got home from the store and had no idea any thing Cassie's mom had said. Both became suspicious but what could they do? He had no idea about us or the Chee and she thankfully didn't tell him.

We kept an eye on her as best we could. The Chee helped out as well so we could go back to school.

"Test? I didn't study any of this."

"Didn't you get a B on the homework?"

"Uh, yeah." Crap. I was not getting a B on this test.

In lunch I sat with Cassie. "So you nervous about the big dinner?"

"It, it doesn't mean any thing. Jake and I have barely talked since the incident." I rolled my eyes.

"The incident? You two kissed hard. It was the kind of kiss Leo would give his girlfriend at the end of a sappy movie."

"And he hasn't said any thing since."

"Well have you said any thing? This is a new decade of girl power."

"I'm not doing any thing or saying any thing. It was just a rush of emotion."

"And all those times you held hands? Or hugged him after a battle?"

"No one was supposed too see us holding hands." If she could she'd be blushing.

"Fine don't say any thing. But enjoy your dinner."

(I know I will.) I stood up so fast my chair went flying backwards.

I looked around the cafeteria before seeing him. He was a human so how could he thought speak? (A little gift from Crayak.) Could he read minds too? (I'm not reading your mind by the way I just know you so well Rachel. Oh and don't tell the others I'm here or I might become a big bad lion and eat some one. Leave the cafeteria and go to the boys bathroom nearest the janitor's closet.)

What did he want? I would find out. "Cassie I'll be right back." I got up and left the cafeteria as David ordered.

He was waiting for me. "What do you want?"

"Some fun. Torture, denigration, what ever I want. You can't morph in here."

"Why not?"

"Chapman ring a bell? Tom? And who knows how many other Yeerks. They might find it suspicious the same grizzly bear shows up here that shows up at every Andalite attack?" He held his left arm out and it morphed in to a lion paw! "Another gift from Crayak. I can control my morphing."

"Crayak is using you. He hates us because we wiped out his pets."

"I know. He said as much. So did his lackey the Drode."

"The what?"

"A lackey of his. He said he'd give me my powers back and a few extra things if I tortured then killed you in return. And I must say this is fun. I could smack you around a little then have my fun with you." His smile sent chills down my spine. "By the way the Chee? Really? Those peacenik," I'm gonna cut off what he said next. This is my journal and I'll write and edit out what I want.

"How do you know about that?"

"How do you think? I was in the barn listening. I love watching you. Not Cassie, I mean, she's ok and Jake likes her but you're so much better." Little creep. I'm editing what I said for the next few minutes.

"Ooo what a dirty mouth." He raised his lion paw. "How about I smack it out of you? I could probably take your head clean off." I would have worried but I saw some thing he didn't.

(I hope I'm in time.) Cassie, in wolf morph, bit David on the leg.

"Aaaa!" He swung with his paw but missed. A wolf is a lot faster then some little punk.

Distracted by Cassie I took my chance and kicked him where it counted. Let him morph away that pain.

"Oh you stupid," Omitting again. Gah, David is making me keep stuff out. But if my mother or my little sisters ever read this journal I'd be in trouble for even writing some of the words going through my head. They'll never read this will they? If we lose humanity is doomed. And even if we win I doubt I'll live. We've gotten lucky so far but we can't stay lucky forever. So why not? That bastard isn't controlling me or what I say or write.

"Get out of here David." I would have loved morphing and ripping his head off by Cassie was there. She'd never let me do it.

"Fine, but I'll be watching." Creep.

I left the bathroom and made sure it was clear for Cassie. "Where are your clothes?"

(In the closet.) I opened the door for her and waited a few minutes while she demporphed and got dressed.

"How did you know it was David?"

"You got up and left and didn't come back. I heard him and you talking so I went in to the janitor's closet, morphed, and bit him."

"Thanks. Did you see his hand?"

"Yeah how did he do that? I can't even do that."

"A gift Crayak gave him. The bell will ring soon we should start heading towards class."

"Yeah, ok."

**6**

We told the others after school. "I'm not going home. He said he would be watching me. I'm not taking a shower or changing clothes until we get him." My skin crawled just thinking about it.

"I'll call Erik and see if he can't send the Chee who played you before back to your house." Marco was actually being sweet. "Since Xena didn't take him down when she had a chance." Grr...

"How? In school? Which morph? My Grizzly Bear? He can morph faster and can choose how he morphs. He could have killed me before I became dangerous."

"Marco this is no time for jokes." Jake's glare made Marco flinch. Even in the most dangerous of times he let Marco make jokes. But David was different. David was far more personal then the Yeerks.

"I will use my new free time for hunting him down. I'll check his house first."

(You won't be going alone.)

"Won't a Bald Eagle and a Red Tail Hawk draw attention?"

(I don't care.) I flashed Tobias a smile.

"Then we'll go hunting. Lions, Golden Eagles, and any other animal acting suspicious beware." I left the barn.

Tobias and I flew just close enough we could hear each other's thought speak. So where will you sleep? You can't stay an animal for more then two hours.

(I know and I'm thinking. I can't stay any where can I? David will be watching. I was thinking of borrowing Cassie's tent.)

(I'd keep watch. So much as an insect and I'll be on it.)

(I'll bring plenty of bug spray.) We kept flying but spotted nothing.

For the rest of the day I would demorph then morph back in to the Bald Eagle and keep searching. I saw a Golden Eagle near the woods but it was eating a rabbit so couldn't have been him. (Rachel you're scary how about you scare him off so I can get a free meal?)

(No Tobias he caught that fair and square.) Tobias hated Golden Eagles even before David had one as a morph.

When night fell and my eagle vision would be of little use. I could have gone to my Great Horned Owl morph but I was tired and hungry.

I flew to Cassie's house and saw her and her mom working in the barn. (Hey, can I get that tent you used?)

"Already have it ready near Ax's Scoop." Cassie was holding a sleeping wolf's mouth open as her mom worked on a tooth that had broken.

(Thanks.) I took off towards the woods.

The tent was close enough to Ax's Scoop I could hear his television. He was watching a game show. (The moon.) I couldn't hear the question. (No, the moon! How could you answer an elephant? Rachel this human is claiming the elephant is larger then your moon.)

"She isn't claiming she is just answering wrong." I tossed and turned for another hour before finally falling asleep.

When I woke up I was hungry. I brought some money and clean clothes with me. Did I want fast food? Mall food? Or maybe share a mouse with Tobias? I was hungry enough that sounded good even if I wasn't in morph. "Tobias?"

(He is out hunting.)

"Oh, ok. Uh, I'm going to the mall."

(Cinnabon?)

"Uh, no, breakfast foods. Gonna hit the McD's there."

"It is nearly twelve of your time."

"Ok, lunch food then." I had a smaller bag I could carry a pair of jeans and a shirt as a Bald Eagle. I would just fly high enough the clouds would cover me then dive down fast so no one would see an Eagle carrying a bag of clothes.

The mall was busy. If David was following me he'd have a hard time keeping up.

This was a second home for me at one time. Before the war. Before it all went to Hell. Meeting Elfangor changed every thing. Of course if we hadn't met him how many of us would be Controllers? I doubt I would have been made one. I would never need the Sharing. But Tobias? He was always a loner, some times hanging out with Jake and Marco but not really a friend. If it wasn't for Elfangor I never would have known how strong and brave he was. He would have been a prime candidate for the Sharing.

Jake? Maybe Tom would have pressured him but what about Marco? Marco would have called it lame and Jake never would have joined. And Cassie, no, no way. She would be too busy with her animals for the Sharing.

But Tobias, he would have. Instead we meet Elfangor, join the fight, and he gets stuck in that stupid hawk body.

After eating I drew some unwanted attention. "Little lady school is in session and you should not be here."

"Little lady? Just how young do you think I am?" I was good at a quick lie. After telling so many it came naturally.

"Don't try that on me I know a teen when I see one." I rolled my eyes.

"Excuse me? I get a couple days off from work and try enjoying them and this is what I get? Don't you recognize me? I'm a model for a very famous company. You must have seen me in a magazine, buying some thing for your wife." I made my voice a little lower hoping it would sound older.

"Well, I, I'm sorry Ma'am." The mall guard turned and walked away.

Ha, I should remember that lie.

I was in Gap when I felt a tap on my shoulder. "So, which magazine?" I recognized the voice.

"David," I reached for a shirt that was hanging on a clothes hanger. I could use the hanger for a weapon.

"Come on what magazine? Victoria Secret?" His hand was on my shoulder. Good it let me know where he was.

I turn and swung with the corner of the hanger. It hit him on the side of the head dazing him. "Help! Help!" I started screaming at the top of my lungs. I saw the mall guard from before.

"Calling for help like a wimp?" He punched me in the face.

"My face! This is my money maker!"

"Hey! Stop right there!" I almost laughed. David was done for. "Stop!"

"Back off old man." I couldn't hold back now.

"No! He's got a knife!" I saw the guard pull some thing out. It wasn't a gun it was some thing maybe even more painful, pepper spray. I covered my face and turned away as David took a full blast to the face.

"Down on the ground!" I saw him pull out a club, yes. Beat the little punk. "Ma'am wait and we'll make a report."

"My face! I can't let any one see me like this!" I took off as the guard dealt with David.

** 7**

When I got outside I saw a red tailed hawk. "Tobias!"

(Yes?)

"David was here. A guard used pepper spray on him and I escaped."

(So? I can't call the others they are in school.)

"We don't need them. When he comes out you distract him and I'll rip him apart."

(Out in the open? If a Controller sees it they will be suspicious.)

"Let them be. Even better all the kids should be at school so it will throw them off."

(Isn't that why the Chee are making a video?)

"Add it on." I focused on the grizzly bear. I would kill David while the others were at school and couldn't stop me.

(Rachel don't do it. The others will flip out if they find out.)

I waited a minute before I responded. (I'll tell them. I'll tell them I did the job.) I couldn't see very well. (Just tell me when he comes out.)

(No.)

(Then I'll go in and attack every one.)

(You wouldn't Rachel.)

(You have hawk eyes you can definitely watch me do it.)

(Rachel you're being reckless.)

(And that is what the group needs from me.) I was the reckless one. I was the crazy one. I was the one who would go in and attack when every one else would hold back. I was the one who would do the things the rest wouldn't. (So guide me or let me loose either way I am taking him down.)

(Fine but I hope you are ready for the consequences.) I was. What ever the others said didn't matter. I would take him down now.

I waited for the right time. (Tobias?)

(I see two police cars pulling up. They might be arresting him.) Not what I was planning. (Or not.)

(What?)

(Ambulance. Maybe he morphed and attacked the guard. You shouldn't have left him alone.)

(I was worried about the guard finding out who I was. How would we explain me being at the mall and at school at the same time?)

(Why did you go to the mall?)

(I was hungry. I slept past breakfast. I didn't feel like sharing some grass with Ax or a rat with you so went to the mall.)

(A problem I haven't had.) I heard his laugh. It took some of the edge off my anger. But I still wanted David dead. (He might have escaped as an animal. I was looking for him not a rat.)

(How would you tell the difference? I'll go and hide before demorphing.) I wanted him dead so badly but that wouldn't happen today.

After demorphing Tobias landed nearby. (Are you okay?)

"Yes. Please don't tell the others about this."

(They will find out. I was sent after you so I could tell you Jake has a plan.)

"When did you see him?"

(Met him at lunch. He spoke to me through the window. We're meeting at the barn after school.)

"Fine, I'll be there. I'm going Bald Eagle."

(Better hope no one thinks you were eating out of the garbage. A Bald Eagle doesn't do that.) Only Tobias could think of a bird joke.

** 8**

We were at the barn. "The last time he wanted the blue box. We already had it hidden but he might have found it so I had Tobias re hide it."

(Took me a new morph just so I could do it. I was too big but none of you are capable fliers for what was needed.)

"Mister Big Shot? Tobias where did you hide it?" Marco being a jerk. Tobias was our best flier and he knew it.

(I can't tell any one in case he's here. We know he's been spying on us.)

"Good. Right now he's focused on us but he might want the blue box."

"Jake what do we do?"

"Cassie I'm not sure. He won't fall for the last trick. He'd want us bringing it out on our own with out his help if we broke it down."

(Why I hid it whole. It was hard with my smaller morph but I did it.)

"But then what? We, we can't kill him." That was my cue.

"I will. You guys can stay back but I want him. If he gets close I'll go bear and rip his head off. Or just rip his guts out and feed them back stuffing them down his throat."

"Uh," Ax finished Marco's comment.

(That is a disturbing image. I hope tonight's welcome back can clear it.) Him and his television. (But if you can not do it as he is a fellow human I will try.) He whipped his tail forward.

"I can do it."

"No!" Jake stormed over to me. "Rachel we won't kill him."

"Why not? We kill Taxxon, Hork Bajir, Gedd, and Yeerks by the hundreds. David is one, not even human, scum. If you can't stomach it Jake then I'll do it on my own."

(No you won't.)

"Tobias no. We can't let you or Rachel do this."

"You won't be _letting_ me do any thing." I punched him as hard as I could.

(Prince Jake!)

"Whoa Xena you can't be punching Hercules!" I glared at Marco and he backed off.

"Tobias I think we should go."

(Yes, we should. Sorry Ax.) We left the barn.

We went to where he hid the blue box. I was in Bald Eagle morph. (Wow. That is a heck of a hiding place.)

(It was the best place I could think of. I could barely get up there in a Kestrel morph. No way is David ever getting there.)

(So, now what?)

(We keep an eye on it just in case.) And so we did.

With the Chee taking my place at home I was free for watching the blue box. And I spent a lot of time with Tobias. It was nice. Like a camping trip with my uh, bird friend. Who was some times my boyfriend. It was so strange holding hands, hugging, other things several days in a row. Normally he'd be busy hunting or we'd be off on a Yeerk mission. But now that we had left the group and were waiting for David to make a move we had a lot more time.

Lying under the stars, Tobias up in a tree, was sorta romantic. "Tobias? Think you could become a human for an hour or so?"

(Sure. I had a good dinner.) He flew down and landed near me then morphed in to his human self.

I might be Xena the Warrior Princess when we fight but lately now that I was away from the group and alone with Tobias I was becoming Rachel. Blonde teenage girl with a boy who she liked. I was in my leotard which made me think of gymnastics. How long has it been since I last competed? Could I even remember how a tumble was done? "Wow, even with out my hawk eyes I can see the most beautiful thing." I couldn't help but blush.

"Um, thanks." It wasn't the first time we kissed but there was more, emotion, to it. More passion in his lips.

(Can you hear this?) I jumped up.

"David?"

"No, me. I've been wondering if my thought speak would work since this was technically a morph." I couldn't believe it.

"Jerk! You scared me half too death." I smacked him on the arm. But I knew what it meant. We must get ready.

I was a Great Horned Owl and he was back in his red tailed hawk morph. It wasn't best for night vision but it was the one he knew best. And we needed the best flier.

When we got where Tobias had hidden the blue box we say a small owl. I wasn't sure what kind it was. Cassie would but she wasn't here. This was what Tobias and I had planned.

We knew David would be listening in the barn so we set a trap. The space would be small and easily closed off by a larger bird. A bird like a Great Horned Owl.

We saw him struggling with the blue box. (Now you see why I had such a hard time.)

(Just block him off until I get that rock pushed.) I landed above the small cave and pushed the rock we had set.

As soon as it landed I started demorphing. The cave was too small for a full demorph but David could demorph with his new power an arm and try pushing the rock away. I would be on the other side holding it in place. "Tobias go tell the others."

(On it.) He took off. I could handle keeping David in the cave for two hours. Hell, I'd leave him in the cave until he starved but the others wouldn't allow it. Weaklings. No, the ones who kept me from getting myself killed. If it weren't for them I would have been dead after the first battle. I wouldn't have retreated. I would have kept fighting, and fighting, until I couldn't fight any more.

The others landed and demorphed. "He's in there?"

"Yes and pushing."

(Let me out! I won't be trapped again!) His screams, his panic, made me happy. (I'll kill you! You won't leave me in here!)

"No, we won't. But as a small morph you won't be much of a threat." I smirked as I pressed against the rock.

(Even I could take you.) If Tobias could smirk he would have been.

(I'll find a way out of it! Crayak will save me!)

"Maybe. We'll find out in less then an hour." I pressed harder against the rock.

** 9**

We had done it.

We had trapped that son of, I, I better not curse any more. Hopefully we'll have the Yeerks beat before I become a legal adult. And so cursing would get me cursing. Even if in a journal I plan on showing my mom, and maybe the others, when this Hell was over.

But now we were at Ax's scoop. The Chee had done the video and submitted it. "Tonight on Amazing Home Videos we have proof of radiation affecting the wildlife! A strange mutant cross of a deer and human with bright blue fur! And not just one but six! They could have been an entire herd of deer mutated by radiation. Is some one dumping toxic waste illegally? We have the video and the state can start the investigation!"

"Ha, the Chee set it up perfectly." The video was shaky, the Andalite's out of focus, just like a real home video. You could even hear voices.

"Dude, whoa, what are they?"

"Man, those mushrooms must have been the good kind!" It was hilarious thinking the Chee were playing stoners.

"No way man they were fresh. What the heck are they?"

"No idea man."

We all high fived, shouted, Ax even tried a high five except he got Jake right between the eyes. (I am sorry Prince Jake.)

"Hey you tried." He rubbed his forehead and smiled.

It was a victory. Not a barely got out alive battle. Not a we did a little damage congratulations on not ending up dead. No, we won. We trapped that, that, scum again. Yes an owl is a huge step up from a rat but he was trapped. Unless Crayak...

**Hello Animorphs**

"Ellimist?"

(What are you doing here? You are late for helping us with David.)

**Andalite your mistrust of me is unfounded. I have only helped you.**

"Ha, that's a load of bull."

**A bull is some thing you have not been yet Marco.**

Finally Jake took control. "Why are you here? Did Crayak fix David again?"

**No. I am here for that reason though. Crayak overstepped his bounds with David. Not just gave him his morphing power back but extended them.**

"Yeah, noticed the control of his morphing." I couldn't help but have the image of him with his lion paw hand in the bathroom.

**Yes. And because of this I was allowed a chance of saving a new species. The next time he interferes in a way not authorized I may use it for helping you.**

"Why not now?"

(Yeah we dealt with David why don't we get the bonus help?) I was glad Tobias and I were on the same page.

**You may get help in the future. In fact I can almost guarantee it. Of course as you have shown the future is not set in stone.**

"Well, thanks." I couldn't believe it. What could happen? What if we messed it up? What if it was better that we did? I hated him except he gave me back Tobias. The human Tobias. "Um, yeah, thanks."

**Your welcome.**

And like that he was gone.

**A/N And so my first shot at an Animorph book. I might have made a couple mistakes but as I focus on it I will hopefully clean them up. Well, reviews will be gladly welcomed!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Animorphs 28 The Deception (Ax)**

**Author James the Lesser**

**I do not own the characters, Applegate and her many Ghost Writers do! ****But I do hope any who read this will enjoy, even if I change things up!**

**1**

The others were waiting for Erik the Chee. I hoped he would be here soon because tonight I was waiting for a brand new episode of an amazing Earth show. It was filled with scientific fallacies about space but the story it told was captivating. Like most Earth shows they had faster than light travel which is impossible. Although the show never explained how they did it so at least they didn't try making things up. But the humans and the machines they fought told such interesting stories!

When Erik the Chee showed up he looked like a normal human. But I knew underneath he was a machine. He was built by a race long dead after being exterminated by another. Technology even more advanced than my own kind could develop.

"Hello Animorphs."

"What is it? Another suicide mission? Oh please tell me it is another suicide mission." Marco considered himself the funny one but I did not see it.

"No. In fact it may be the easiest thing you've done yet."

"So another suicide mission because that's all we ever do."

"No Marco. As you know the Yeerks use the Sharing and other secret groups for invading Earth. If they went towards open war they would win but could lose billions of potential hosts."

"And?" Prince Jake raised his eye brow. I learned that this meant he had a question in case one could not tell by the tone of his voice.

"And they may decide that open war and losing a couple billion hosts would be better than getting wiped out by the Andalite fleet."

(They are coming?)

"They don't know. Several Dome Ships disappeared from the Leera planet and they suspect it is coming towards Earth."

"Is it?"

"I don't know, maybe. But if they are then the Yeerks will unleash all it can on Earth so it can capture as many hosts possible before the Andalite fleet arrives. Make sure the Andalite's can't do to the humans what they did with the Hork Bajir."

"Uh, what did they do?" They all turned towards me.

(They unleashed a Quantum Virus killing as many Hork Bajir as possible so they could not be made hosts.)

"So if the Andalite fleet does show up instead of saving us they'll wipe us out?" Cassie was the one I got along with the least. She was soft, too soft. If she were the leader we would have lost months ago. She did not realize what was at stake.

(If that is what is deemed needed then yes. But we are hoping we can wipe out the Yeerk fleet with out your kind ever knowing we were here.)

"So what now? Thanks for the warning but then what? Are you saying we should kick more Yeerk butt? Or less? Cause I'm up for more." Rachel was the true warrior of the group. If she had been an Andalite it would be interesting seeing how far she could have gone.

"We have an idea. We will save lives if it works."

"What?" Jake got closer to Erik.

"We send a fake message, intercept it, pretend we are Andalite's, and claim the fleet will be gone for several more years. Hopefully this will buy us time."

"And how will the Yeerks get it?"

"We'll have one of our own on the Pool Ship intercept it and deliver it. This will hopefully hold off on any overt actions from the Yeerks."

"And then we must step things up. Right Ax? If a group of Andalite Bandits found out they had no help coming they'd do more damage so they could buy time."

(Yes. We would not back down like the cowardly Yeerk.)

"Then it is settled. How long will it take before you can have things set up Erik? I'm sure Ax can do it as soon as you're ready."

"Not long. I think Ax shouldn't be the one who is on this end of the message though."

(Why not? I am the only real Andalite here.)

"Exactly. Visser Three has seen you in battle but the others always use Earth animals. If they get confirmation of another Andalite, an adult one, then it will help settle down the rumors that the bandits are actually human."

"Good thinking. Um, well, what do you need from us then? This sounds like the Chee can do this all on their own."

"You are our allies and we figured we should consult you first. You did us a great service in wiping out the Howlers and we could never do enough in repayment."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, thanks Erik. Maybe if we get the Yeerks off Earth and you still wanna repay us you could use your connections and advance tech so we could all win the lottery. You know, as payment for saving the Earth and the dogs."

"Yes Marco we will use our advanced technology so you can win the lottery. Then maybe after that we will cure cancer but first the lottery for you."

(You do not pass off your technology to the humans.)

"We have a little in the past but never any thing major." Erik looks at a hologram watch on his wrist. I am sure the Chee could tell the time with out needing a clock. I guess he was used too passing himself off as a human and couldn't break certain routines. "It is getting late I have homework."

"Couldn't you take a minute and do all of it?"

"I must make sure I get some of the answers wrong or they will think I am the next Einstein. Nice man by the way who only needed a few nudges here and there when working on his Quantum Theories."

**2**

The next morning I was flying with Tobias. We were scouting for possible Yeerk Pool entrances. (So what do you think of Erik's plan?"

(It may work. Right now your population could be killed off in the billions and still leave billions of hosts behind. So if Visser Three is delayed by a false message it will help.)

(Will it be false though? What if they don't come here for several more years? By then even in secret the Yeerks could have billions of hosts.)

(Then we would wipe out as many hosts as possible.)

(Like you did with the Hork Bajir?)

(And would have done to the Taxxon homeworld if we had gotten close enough in time for it too matter. This is war and we must win. If the Yeerks win the galaxy is doomed.)

(Is there no other race out there more powerful? Like a Pemalite race mixed with the Howlers? Or are you guys really the end all be all?)

(There is a race we do not make contact with. After a slight skirmish we decided we would stay out of their space if they staid out of ours. They are powerful enough that so far the Yeerks have avoided them as well. But if they gained a billion or two hosts they could over run any others with sheer force.)

(The Quantum Virus affects all life or just certain ones?)

(We program it so it would only take out a specific type.)

(So if all the free humans morphed in to animals it wouldn't affect them?)

(The logistics of giving billions of humans the morphing power would be too much. What about those you consider criminals? Or unwanted? Should they all get morphing powers?)

(It was just an idea. Not that we need any more with the power or morphing after the last one went bad.)

(Yes it did.) We continued flying for a bit.

When we were close to the EGS Tower I felt a sudden thermal lifting me. (Tobias there is a great heat increase near the EGS Tower.)

(Where they held the Kandrona? You don't think they rebuilt one back there do you?)

(It may be the only place for it. Or it may be a back up in case we found and destroyed the other one. Or it could be they moved it back here after increasing security.)

(That is a lot of maybe's. I think we should tell the others after school and see what they think.)

(I think that as well.) I flew away from the building for the nearest forest. I had already spent over one and a half Earth hours in morph.

**3**

When Prince Jake and the others made it to the barn Tobias and I had already scouted the EGS Tower again. "Really? So what? They slapped some duct tape on it and put it back?"

(I doubt your silver tape is what they used.)

"Our tape. You're here on Earth so that makes it your tape as well Ax."

"In any case what you're saying is that they moved it back or put a back up there."

(Or the back up is elsewhere and this is the main Kandrona.)

"So even if we destroyed it we wouldn't do any damge."

"Um, and last time, the hosts who couldn't get and rays were killed. Do we really want that happening again?"

"Cassie we all agree better dead then a host."

"We made that choice they didn't."

"If we can hurt the Yeerks then we hurt them. I say lets smash the Kandrona again even if they have a back up one. It will at least annoy them."

"Let me guess Rachel the next words out of your mouth will be let's do it?"

"No, that comes after I say at least this time I won't be the only one pushing. You all have rhino or elephant morphs now."

"So now?"

"Let's do it!"

"Hold on guys. We should wait."

"What, why Jake?"

"We wait for the Chee and their false message. This gives us time for scouting and asking Erik if he has any idea what added security there might be and if there is a back up and where it is. Also gives me time for trying out a new morph."

(A new morph? I did not realize we would need a new one.)

"No Ax this morph I did once before. I've been thinking about it and the Howler morph is super powerful, fast, and tough. And it is some thing the Yeerks haven't seen before. I could even grab and use a Dracon beam."

"It is some thing they haven't dealt with before. And how would a human grab a morph even Visser Three hasn't seen? If only I could have grabbed one."

"Jealous Xena?" Rachel gives a stern look to Marco. I understand what they do is friendly even though an outside observer might believe it not.

"If we all had one we could really tear the Yeerks up and make them think a new race was moving in."

"Well we don't. But I think it could help a lot and maybe even change the momentum. We got a real victory with the Howlers and I want another real victory here."

(Prince Jake I think this time we should try stealth. If we go for force they could stop us. They nearly did last time and I am sure they will have tougher security.)

"We have time so I want you and Tobias scoping it out. See if you can't get near the windows and look in. But be careful if the Yeerks notice a red tail hawk and a harrier snooping around it could only increase the security."

(I was thinking we should get some pigeon morphs. They are every where and shouldn't be noticed. They won't have as good of eyes but we could get closer.)

"Good idea Tobias. Um, well, any one with homework get home and get that done. My grades are getting bad enough I might get grounded."

(Guys, company, Cassie's mom.)

"Well, she knows about this."

"Sorry Cassie but the less she knows the better. Ax, Tobias, go and eat or what ever and prepare for tomorrow."

(I'll catch a pigeon for us in the morning.) Tobias flew from the rafters and I went out the back way of the barn.

**4**

The bird called pigeon was not fast, powerful, or in any way threatening. This made it the perfect morph for spying on the building. (I can see two Hork Bajir.)

(I see three more up here. They packed the building with them.)

(It may be better if we sneak in instead of barreling through like we did last time. Take out the Kandrona and escape before they even know we are here Tobias.)

(Yeah that's what I'm thinking. I'm ready too get out of this morph and and gain some real eyes and feathers.) We split from the building and fly towards the woods.

Tobias and I were waiting for the others when Erik showed up. "Hello Tobias, Ax, how are you two today?"

(A little tired. We found the Kandrona and have been scouting it out.)

"I think you guys should avoid that. The security has been more than tripled since the last time you guys took it out. That and it wouldn't do much good."

(What do you mean? The Kandrona is needed by the Yeerks.)

"Yes Ax but they have more. They opened several Yeerk Pools in other cities and nations as they've expanded their invasion. If you destroy this one they can just move people too other Yeerk Pools. It may inconvenience them but it won't do much damage."

(It will annoy them and that's all I care about. And maybe it will keep them from putting it back in the same place. So other cities? Do you know which ones?)

"Of course Tobias. When the others get here I'll give you the details."

When Prince Jake and the others arrived Erik told us the rest. "Wow. So even if we win here it doesn't matter."

"They still want this area. You are in the middle of several major cities. This town is far enough away they could do the construction needed for the Yeerk Pool but near enough the major cities that they could take tens of millions of hosts."

"Well we can slow them down still. Where is the back up?"

"On the Pool Ship. But if you destroy this Kandrona they would move the back up to the Yeerk Pool. At least until they found a new place for setting it."

"So then we could go in to the Yeerk Pool and attack it."

"Right Rachel as soon as we take out the hunter robots and get by those filers."

"Don't be a wuss Marco. We can find a way around them." Erik raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"We could take them down. Let us know when and where and I'll have one of our agents turn the filters off."

"Wow having you guys are awesome. We should have gone to Dr. Seuss world months ago. And with Jake trying out the Howler morph," Suddenly the hologram of Erik flickered.

"What? Jake, you can still turn in to one of those?"

"I think so. It wasn't like a Sario Rip so I should still have the DNA in my system."

"Why? Why would you use one of those monsters? Aren't the animals of Earth enough?"

"Um, well, no. The Howler could take out a dozen Hork Bajir with out breaking a sweat. If we all had Howler morphs we could probably destroy the Pool, hijack a ship, then fly up to the Pool Ship and destroy it from the inside. I'm sorry it upsets you Erik I know what they did to the Pemalites and many other races but if I can take that evil and use it for good then I will."

"Yes, you saw their memories." It was strange thinking this android had emotions that a human or Andalite could understand. But one could feel as well as see the change. "And yes using that evil for good is spitting in the face of their creator."

(The Ellimist may have made it so you could keep that morph and do just that. It would be the way they think.)

"Tonight we send the message. So any time after tonight will be a good time for increasing the pressure. If the Council of Thirteen knows the fleet is not coming then Visser Three can not pressure them for all out war."

(If Visser Three is in charge why did he not start with war? A Yeerk certainly would not choose a slow invasion like this when they have superior firepower.)

"Visser One started it actually. It is what made her Visser One. She found this planet and handed it over to the Yeerk Empire. She was rewarded and sent too take another as this planet had been deemed ripe for the taking. Unfortunately for Visser Three the Andalite fleet appeared and attacked. While he got the jump on them with his Blade Ship he then had a small group of Andalite Bandits on Earth slowing things down."

(And you will make him think my fleet is not coming for several more years preventing an open war.)

"Exactly. Tonight a little after midnight we're sending out the signal. We also thought it might help if they could trace it to the ocean."

"Why?"

(It is obvious Marco. The Yeerks believe they know where I live. If they trace it out in the ocean they will be confused.)

"Exactly. You're on the ball Ax."

(I am on no ball as far as I know.)

"Yeah, well, I'm off. Good luck with your other missions and if we have more information or ideas we will bring them too you. And when you plan on going to the Yeerk Pool let us know so we can turn off the filters."

**5**

I was in my bird morph watching Rachel sneak towards the back door of the building as a rat. (So far nothing. When they open the door I'll try and run in and see what they do.)

(The door is opening go!) I watch her run through as a man takes out a bag of garbage.

(Aaaa! Taxxon right in the entrance!) I see her run back out before the door closed.

(Rachel move back down the alley and behind the dumpster before demorphing. Tobias and Ax keep an eye out for extra guards until Rachel is out of there.)

(Yes Prince Jake.)

(Don't call me Prince.)

(Yes Prince Jake.)

We met on the roof of a building where we could demorph. "Ok so we know they have the place packed with Taxxon and Hork Bajir. I think fly morph would be the best."

"We could just follow the stairway up until we reach the top floor. But demorphing then will be a problem if there are guards."

(I would demorph first and distract them.)

(I could cover Ax since I'd just go back to being a hawk.)

"If we did it in the stairway then we could demorph and morph in to combat morphs in safety. I'm the fastest so I could go in and help Ax and Tobias while the rest of you finish."

"If they don't have guards there. We can't be sure of any thing until we go in."

"So we go now? Or should we write a suicide note first?"

"Let's do it!"

(Yes we should go now. There is no point in delaying this.)

We morphed in to flies then went under the door and started flying. (So any one see a sign? I can't see the stairs.)

(I think I see a sign. Let me get closer.)

(And hope no one notices a flock of flies buzzing around.)

When we found the stairway we got silent. I always felt nervous about a mission. If we succeed we hurt the Yeerks but if we fail, if we die, this planet was lost. The Andalite Fleet would have no choice in using the Quantum Virus. But even then the Yeerks would have billions of hosts.

(Ax how much time has passed?)

(One of your hours.)

(I've been counting the doors and I think we're almost there. The EGS Tower has how many floors? I've counted fifty four doors.)

(Uh, sixty some? I think. I didn't count.)

(Tobias, Ax, demorph and tell us if it is safe for us.) I landed on a stair and demorphed.

(The door says fifty nine. I see no cameras.)

(No hunter robots or Hork Bajir tearing us apart. But be quick we can't know how long we have.) I kept my tail ready as the others demorphed and morphed in to their battle morphs.

Seeing Prince Jake morph in to the Howler was strange. A Howler is shaped much like a human except for the skin color and eyes. He may have even morphed faster than Cassie who is the best of the humans.

(I'll take the lead. They might not know what too do if they see a Howler for the first time.)

(Hey Jake try not using that howl unless it is a last resort. It won't hurt just the Yeerks.)

(I know Marco.) I shuddered at the thought of Prince Jake using that howl. I had never felt such pain before. I don't know if any pain could be inflicted that was worse.

It was difficult working our way up the stairs. They were meant for humans not for bears or gorillas or an Andalite.

(Ok I've been working on a plan.)

(At least some one has.)

(Be quiet Marco. The Howler is fast. I think I can rush in and get as far away from the door as possible then use the howl. That will cripple any Yeerks guarding the Kandrona. Then you come in and help me knock out any human hosts.)

(I'll go down a flight or two since I'm the only one here who can't cover his ears.)

(Burying my head between my paws might not be the best at blocking the howl.)

(I know why I'll go as far as I can.) I watched Prince Jake put a hand on the door handle. (Get ready. Once I stop howling come in after me.) He swung it open and rushed in.

I braced myself and covered my ears with my hands. Even then I could hear his howl. It make my brain vibrate but didn't hurt any where near as badly as it could have. (Now!) Rachel squeezed her grizzly bear morph through the door and charged in.

I used the flat of my blade on a human controller knocking him out. I could see the blood of a Hork Bajir on the far wall with one eye stalk and see Prince Jake ripping a Taxxon open with the other. This was the first time I watched a Howler in battle. Before I was crippled by the pain of the howl. It was terrifying. Prince Jake was unstoppable.

A Hork Bajir had recovered and fired at me but missed. (You can't sneak up on an Andalite.) I cut the arm holding the Dracon Beam off.

(Ax kick that over to me!)

(Yes Prince Jake.) It skidded across the floor and he picked it up. The Howler morph was deadly enough as it was but now it had an advanced weapon.

The battle was over quickly. Six human controllers, several Taxxon controllers, and nearly a dozen Hork Bajir. The howl crippled all of them and made it easy for us. Prince Jake may have done it alone.

(Wow, that was easy. Maybe I should edit my suicide note and save it for later.)

(Yeah. It was almost no fun.)

(Fun? Rachel this was horrible. We, it, it wasn't fair. They could barely fight back.)

(And that's a problem? I don't have much room for flying and diving in here so I couldn't do much. We just kicked Yeerk butt and with the Dracon Beam can just blast the Kandrona.)

(Guys don't you feel bad at all? We are in a war but the Hork Bajir are slaves. We hurt them and the Yeerk with the howl and now they're dead.)

(Get over it Cassie. If they could they would do the same to us. Jake find the Kandrona and blast it. We'll keep guard for any more coming up the stairs.) Rachel moved over to the door.

(You're half blind I'll keep watch.) Tobias glided over and landed on her back.

I followed Prince Jake in to the next room where the Kandrona was stored. (Ax, Andalite's have rules of war don't they?)

(Yes Prince Jake.)

(If they lose they wipe out the planet?)

(Not until the Yeerks did we start doing that. Before when we fought with each other we had rules of what was acceptable and what was not.)

(So do we. I'm not sure what I did was a war crime or not under our rules of war. It wasn't a battle it was a massacre.)

(You are defending your entire planet from annihilation. And we did not kill the human controllers. From what I have read if you were brought up on trial for this you would not be punished as you killed non humans.)

(Would the Andalite's see it that way?)

(We committed genocide on the Hork Bajir what you did was nothing compared with that.) I shouldn't be telling the humans this. It was against the rules. But the fleet was gone and they were all I had. They trusted me with every thing they had if I could not share the same trust with them what was I doing?

(Did any oppose?)

(Yes, many. But it was needed or the Yeerks would have several hundred thousand more hosts.) The Kandrona was unguarded but we were wasting time. (Please Prince Jake destroy it so we may leave before more Yeerks arrive.)

(I know.) I watched him increase the power level of the Dracon Beam before firing.

The explosion was minor with the amount of damage we were doing. We were taking out the Kandrona again. Yes they had others and a backup would most likely be here in a couple of days but it wouldn't be stored here. The Chee would tell us where it was and we would destroy that one as well. (Are we leaving Prince Jake?)

(Yes. Everyone we're sneaking out of here as flies.) I kept an eye out for any more Yeerks as the rest demorphed and morphed in to flies before joining them.

**6**

Three days later it was what the humans call Saturday. Erik was meeting us and giving us an update and hopefully the location of the new Kandrona.

(He's coming and he brought friends.)

"Thanks Tobias."

(Friends? Other Chee? Why would he bring them? Prince Jake I would be on caution.)

"They're the Chee they can't exactly hurt us."

"No but they can send us on more suicide missions."

"Be quiet Marco."

It was the Chee known as Erik, his father, and one I didn't recognize. "Hello Animorphs, correct?"

"Yeah, uh, why so many?"

"We have a lot of information from the Yeerks. Shelia is from the Pool Ship, she got your transmission and handed it over to the Yeerks."

"And I got some bad news. News I wanted you too hear directly from me."

(Why? Could you not tell Erik?)

"I could but this, this is big, a huge step up." How an android could sound nervous didn't make sense in my mind. They were machines. "Um, well, don't freak." Her hologram changed.

(Visser One? This comes directly from her?)

"Yes. The Council of Thirteen is coming and checking on the progress of the invasion personally. Visser Three if you declare all out war and lose billions of hosts you will lose your head. The Andalite fleet is not coming for several years. Continue the silent invasion." I notice the Chee who played Erik's father change in to Visser Three.

"Your way is taking too long! You may fear these humans but I do not!"

"If even only a sixth of the humans fought back that would still be more than every Yeerk host on the planet. If you need help I will gladly assist. Making sure the Council knows how weak you are."

"Never! I will simply become more aggressive."

"Be careful if the humans find out about this you will lose the planet. The weapons they have may be primitive but a nuclear warhead or a bullet will kill as easily as a beam or virus." They change their holograms back.

"So Visser Three is ignoring orders and going for more open war?"

"Maybe. Or pushing recruitment in the Sharing and other groups. They may start taking more and more involuntary hosts."

"But if we destroy Kandrona's we can slow that down."

"Yes Jake. Speaking of which you wanted the location of the back up. Well, good news and bad news."

"Let me guess you know where it is but it requires a suicide mission?"

"Yes and maybe. Instead of putting it where you could reach it they have it on a Bug Fighter. It stays cloaked over the city. They refuel it when needed and worry about a plane hitting it but other then that it is working."

"So it is invisible and way up there. And I'm sure if they see a bird they shoot it."

(I'll make sure I don't fly too high when going through the city. If it is invisible I wouldn't know I got too close until they shot me.)

"We have the location. Approximately five thousand feet above the high school."

"Directly above it?"

"Centered over the gym. I'm sorry we can't give you more."

"That may be enough."

"What? Jake it is invisible and a ship. We can't morph wolf or bear and attack it. And even the biggest bird morph couldn't damage it."

"I know Cassie. But what are they fearing?"

"Andalite Bandits, the fleet, the boogeyman in the closet?"

"No Marco, Erik already said they worry about planes hitting it."

"Why it is so low. Except for smaller single engine planes the majority of planes would be much higher."

"So what? We hijack an airplane and crash..." Maroc we cut off by Rachel.

"Let's do it!"

"Whoa wait no! None of us can fly a plane."

(I could. Your aircraft controls are much simpler then any on an Andalite ship. But we must know exactly where it is. We will only get one try before they move it.)

(Before you were here Ax we dealt with their cloaking. I could see ripples in the air as it moved.)

"But the ship isn't moving."

(No but the ships that refuel it are. Ax and I can watch for the ripples and see where it stops. We can be the ones who take the plane.)

"But you'd need a direct hit. You would have too get it lined up then jump out of the plane and morph in to a bird. I don't even know if I could morph fast enough."

(I could morph before leaving the plane. If Tobias is with me he could try and keep the plane level as I morphed.)

"Insane, suicide, nuts, crazy. Why not just drop a whale on it?"

"Not a bad idea but it is over the city and people might wonder where the whale came from."

"I don't know if I could demorph then morph in to a bird fast enough."

"I'm sure you could." I notice the looks between Prince Jake and Cassie. It reminded me of when back home and in class there was a, well, I was distracted from studies by a certain Andalite.

"Whoa, um, hello."

(Oh crap I got distracted.) It was Cassie's mother.

"Um, your friends, uh, Cassie I was coming out too tell you lunch would be ready soon. I don't think I have nearly enough for all your friends."

(I had a rat earlier so I'm fine.)

(I fed on the way here so I am also fine.)

"Hey, uh, we don't eat." Erik and the other Chee drop their holograms then bring them back up.

"Oh my Cassie you have some interesting friends. Are they also Yeerk or Andalite forces or some thing?" Erik laughed.

"We're a bit older than that. I helped build the pyramids." The Chee known as Shelia raised her hand.

"I helped with making the American flag."

"Ok then. Um, Cassie I need too lie down when your father gets home let him know lunch is ready."

(She handles this far better then I thought. We assumed your kind would react violently if they knew the true existence of aliens.)

"Don't base us off of our movies. Those are just for entertainment."

(We do not know that.)

"Well now you do. And don't you enjoy our entertainment?"

(I find it highly educational.)

(Is that why you make me watch the Young and the Restless every afternoon? For educational purposes?)

(I am young and often restless.)

"Ok you two can go back to your soaps tomorrow but for now we must figure out what we're doing. The closest airport with smaller planes is what, east of here?"

(Yes. But you guys realize people pay for these things. We're stealing some one's hard earned money and crashing it in to a Bug Fighter.)

"Well, UPS! They have planes right? The company probably has insurance and stuff. And I know where they fly in and out of."

"How do you know that Jake?"

"Before all this started I thought it would be cool working for them. Ax are you sure you can fly a plane? It is all manual no thought speak control."

(I have played a flight simulator on a computer I built. Your controls are rather simple you don't even need a co pilot one human can do it.)

"Ok well this is Saturday so we can all watch from different angles. If they don't refuel today or tomorrow then just Ax and Tobias during the day and we'll take turns after school."

"Wow even when we're out of school we'll still be going to school. Is this a nightmare? Am I wearing pink daffida? Is Rachel secretly my girlfriend who is actually a bear in disguise?"

"Only in your dreams would I be your girlfriend in any form." The others laughed but I was not sure of the humor in it.

**7**

It wasn't until Wednesday that I finally saw the ripple in the air. I was about a quarter mile from the school when it happened. (Tobias I see it can you?)

(Yeah just barely. Like the air coming off the road on a hot summer day.)

(It stopped. I think if one of us carried a rock then dropped it then it would land on the ship telling us exactly where it is.)

(I'll do it I'm the best flier.)

(Wait. If we do it now it may alert them. We should tell the others.)

(I think Jake is in math class now. I'll go tell him.) I kept watching where the Bug Fighter was as Tobias flew off.

When the human school ended I saw Prince Jake and Marco walking towards the nearby woods. I was close on my time and flew over so I could demorph. "Hey Ax Man Tobias said you saw where the ship was?"

(Yes Marco. And Tobias and I came up with an idea of knowing exactly where it is.)

"Yeah? How?"

(We originally thought a rock but now we have decided on paint in a balloon. It will splash on the Bug Fighter revealing the exact location of it. I can aim for it then and take it out.)

"Not a bad idea. I already had Tobias tell the others about the ship. We'll do it in a couple of hours." I saw movement coming from behind us.

(They are here.)

"So are we doing this or what?"

"Yes Xena we're hijacking an air plane and crashing it in to a Bug Fighter happy now?"

(I will be the one doing the hijacking and crashing. I think Rachel should be the one with the paint balloon since her eagle morph is the largest and can carry the largest load.)

"Paint balloon? I missed some thing."

(We're marking the ship so Ax and I can hit it easier. I already found some paint we just need balloons and an open plane.)

"They must have one standing by right? Or at least with enough fuel Ax can hit the ship."

"Well, I'm ready, I guess. Although I don't have much too do except distract any guards or pilots."

"Don't worry Marco I'm sure UPS won't have any Hork Bajir guards. Although if you really wanna distract them why not wear a frilly pink tutu? It would match your eyes."

"When I'm a gorilla or now?" The group laughs. I am not sure what a tutu is so am not sure of the joke.

I waited for the distraction. A gorilla and a wolf would dance near the tarmac while Tobias and I snuck on board a plane as birds. Prince Jake would watch out for any blocks while Rachel carried the paint balloon.

When I saw Marco and Cassie several humans had as well. "Whoa man I swear I'm not on drugs. Are you seeing this Steve?"

"Totally Ed. A monkey and a weird ugly dog are dancing. Waltz?"

"Not line dancing I think. Man maybe the fumes got us off our rockers."

"Yeah, fumes. No one will believe us."

I flew in to the nearest airplane and demorphed quickly. (Tobias be prepared for keeping the plane level. Once I let go and morph back in to a bird I can't keep the controls steady.)

(I know just get us in the air.)

(I will.) The controls were laughably simple. I just couldn't start it. (There is no key. I must wire it.)

(And how long will that take?)

(Several minutes maybe. I have never done this before.)

(Hurry! Marco and Cassie can only make those UPS guys think they are on some thing for so long.)

(I am hurrying.) The panel was sealed shut but my tail made easy work of it.

I had gotten several wires stripped when Prince Jake started shouting. (Ax! Two guards are coming for Marco and Cassie! What's taking so long?)

(There was no key so I must wire it. I am almost done.) I touched two wires together and the engines sputtered. (I got it.) I touch them together again and the engines start.

Now came the most dangerous part. Emergency take off and hitting the Bug Fighter. But I must do it. The Yeerk invasion was getting stronger. They were based in several cities and nations now. We were barely slowing them down. Destroying the Kandrona was all we could do for slowing them down in this city.

The plane was easy too control once I got it in the air. (Ax I think we clipped those trees.)

(They should not allow such tall trees near an airport.)

(We were about three hundred feet off the runway. I think we hit a deer as well. I'll go back and check. Hmm, I can't remember ever having deer.)

(I think we missed it.)

(Darn. Well lets hope Rachel marked the Bug Fighter.)

I flew in a wide circle then started coming over the city. (There she is. She's dive bombing it now. Ax you're going too far right and too high.)

(I can adjust as we get closer. Has she dropped the balloon yet?)

(Just now. She got a direct hit.)

(Any reaction from the Bug Fighter?)

(I don't think they realize it happened yet. We could have a clear shot. Just a little lower and to the right.)

(Adjusting now.)

I could see the paint now and adjusted again. (Tobias I will need too morph soon.)

(Yeah I'm ready.) I hold the control still as Tobias grasps it with a talon. (Ok I got it.)

(Keep it exactly where it is or we will miss.) I step back and go to the door. If I opened it all the way it could create drag. But I could cut a hole large enough for Tobias and I with my tail blade. (Let me know when we are an eighth of a mile away.)

(Eighth of a mile? I can kind of tell distances when I'm flying and looking down but I don't have any landmarks here.)

(Then prepare for escaping now.) I started morphing.

With my improved sight I could see we were veering left. (Tobias I need your help. We are going too far left.)

(I kept it steady.)

(The hole I cut created more drag than I thought.) I flapped up to the controls and my weight changed the flight path. (We better hurry we have about thirty seconds.)

(Thirty seconds?)

(Of your time. Not about twenty five seconds of your time.)

(Ax, go! I'll be right behind you.) I let go of the controls and fly to the hole. I had made it a little too small and forced my way through stripping some feathers off.

(Now Tobias!)

(I'm trying! I need too lay off the fatty rabbits and stick with lean field mice.) I was diving for the ground and couldn't look back. I knew Tobias would make it. My _shorm_ would make it.

I was near the ground when the plane hit the Bug Fighter. I could hear the sound of metal clashing with metal. (Tobias!) He must have made it out. He could have morphed some thing smaller and gotten out. (Tobias!)

(Watch out!) He flies right above me. (I dived out of there and lost most of my tail feathers I'm having a really hard time controlling my flight!) I see him land roughly on the ground.

(I will protect you as you morph and demorph restoring your feathers.)

(I'm more worried about you. You better get far enough away no one can see you demorph.)

(I will as soon as you are better.)

**8**

We were meeting at the barn a week after the plane attack. Erik was coming with new information. We all hoped it would be good news.

(He's coming, alone.)

"Ok Tobias thanks for the heads up." Prince Jake was at the door waiting.

"Hey guys."

"Spill it. Did we do any thing or are the Yeerks ignoring this?"

"Oh they aren't ignoring this. Transporting Controllers back and forth from here to the nearest Yeerk Pool with a Kandrona is draining on resources and time. They are making a secured area in the Yeerk Pool here for the new Kandrona."

"Great. So we slowed them down here but every where else they're going strong. Unless you have another plane in to Bug Fighter plan."

"No they are raising security at the other sites. But one in the east could be the next target if you want. It is the closest and destroying that one would cripple all Yeerk activity in this area. It won't end it as there are tens of millions of potential hosts within a few hundred miles but could slow it down."

(Doing all we can may not be enough. If we could find the Pemalite Crystal maybe the Chee who wish a more active role could help.)

"Never Ax. What I went through I will never allow for the others. Never."

"Calm down it was just an idea. And it is some where in the ocean we couldn't find it if we tried. We'll think about it. Going that far we would need a plane or a morph good for that kind of travel."

(Geese.)

"Huh?"

(Geese, like those two.) One of the Geese honks at Tobias who got too close. (They travel for hundreds of miles in a single flight. I can't believe I didn't think of it before.)

"Yes! If we all acquire Geese we could fly for hundreds of miles with out tiring." Cassie goes over and touches one of the Geese.

(Are we going after the other Kandrona? It could be risky.)

"Maybe. I'll think about it. But for now getting a new morph could help." I watch Prince Jake touch the nearest Goose.

(You guys make sure one of them is calm. They won't like me getting that close.)

"I got it Tobias." I watch Rachel pick a Goose up as she acquires it putting it in a kind of trance. "Better hurry I don't want it waking up in my arms."

"Well if you need replacements just give me a call and we'll send Chee copies."

"I have a geometry test coming up and I need at least a B could you send a Chee for me then?"

"No Marco. I could offer tutoring since I do owe you one."

"For the Howlers?"

"When we were eight you let me borrow a toy and I broke it. I didn't control my strength and snapped it in half."

"Hey, I remember that! Yeah, ok, tutoring."

(I am getting a snack before dark.)

(And the newest episode of Seinfeld is on tonight. I have tried following it but it appears too have no story. Almost as if it were about nothing.)

"Go ahead. I'll help Cassie with a couple of the animals."

"I have homework and my mom is getting on me about my grades." I let Rachel leave before going out and to the woods for my Scoop.

**A/N Wow this was hard. Writing as hard is difficult because he isn't human. I must remember that with every line. It isn't my best work I admit but thankfully I won't be back to him for a looong time. So yeah, took out two Kandrona's and Jake unleashes the Howler morph. I figure since it wasn't a Sario Rip just transported by the Ellimist it would still be in his system. Another reason why I start after Episode 26 so he would have this morph. Well, next is Cassie! But no idea when I'll get her episode done. So much going on but those who enjoy this know I will be writing and updating this series, eventually.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Animorphs 29 The Reward (Cassie)**

**Author James the Lesser**

**I do not own the characters, Applegate and her many Ghost Writers do! ****But I do hope any who read this will enjoy, even if I change things up!**

**1**

My name is Cassie. Just Cassie. No I'm not like Cher or Bono I do have a last name. I just can't tell you. Or what state I live in, town, or high school I go to. You know why by now. The Yeerks. Although right now I wasn't even thinking about them.

Jake and I were on an actual date date. Not a meeting for the Animorphs or a dinner with our parents. Not even a study date. An actual date date at the movies. Rachel would have teased me about it and probably made me wear some dress so I didn't tell her. And my mind had a big enough distraction. It kept thinking about the L word. Love, L word, is that what I had with Jake? I've never said it out loud to him. And he's never said it out loud to me either. But we knew that we each loved each other. How could we not after what we've been through?

But tonight was about us as teens. Normal teens worrying about getting good seats and hoping no one would sit right in front of us. That was always so annoying. I'm not really short but short enough a normal person can block my view.

And I was really nervous. Butterflies in the stomach didn't do it justice. Jake and I had held hands plenty of times and even kissed a couple times. Ah, that first time on the Dr. Seuss world of the Iskoort when I thought he had died but he made it. I had only seen kisses like that in movies and then I had one of my own!

But now what? Would we actually watch the movie? I know a lot of couples would make out at a movie but is that what Jake expected? Or what if he really did wanna see the movie and me trying too kiss him would set him off? A kiss after a near death battle came so easily but now? Why can't I be normal? Oh, Elfangor and the blue box and the invading Yeerks. That's why I can't be normal.

The movie started and he put his hand on mine on the arm rest. Holding hands was a normal thing. We do it all the time. Well, not when we're at school. Usually right before we go in to battle and he wants too reassure me every thing will turn out ok. But we weren't going in to a battle. This was much more nerve racking because I didn't know what too do and Jake wasn't giving orders.

Last night when we ended the meeting I hadn't expected this. We were planning on going east to take out another Kandrona. And before he left Jake pulled me aside and asked if I wanted too see a movie, with him. And now I was. Right? Or should we not be watching it? Is that what he expected? I look out the corner of my eye and see he was doing the same thing!

"Um, Cassie, you want a sip?"

"Um, ok." How could I be so nervous? Was he as nervous as I was? No, he was Jake our fearless leader. Only he did fear and he was only the leader because it fell on him.

"Hey you two could you keep it down?" I started too turn around when I saw a fist fly forward and hit Jake on the back of the head.

"What was that for?" I stood up and confronted the person. I recognized him. He was Jake's cousin Saddler. Except Saddler was dead. Which meant... "David."

"I knew you'd recognize me. But David is still wanted by the Yeerks so I went as this instead. I got hungry for some mall food and I saw you two. I couldn't resist following."

"But you were trapped as an owl."

"Says who? Crayak got rid of that pesky two hour limit for me. Boy I really had you guys fooled didn't I?" I watched as he morphed back in to himself. In the dark of the theater no one would have seen it.

"I, I'll," He pulled some thing out of his pocket, a gun. "A gun? Really?"

"A chimpanzee acquired it from a store. He didn't steal it because animals can't steal can they?"

"But you would never kill a human."

"Oh this is just for show. And too get you out of here quietly."

"Why me?"

"That first time you trapped me. It was you who planned it wasn't it? Rachel would have gone for the big bang. Marco? No way. But you? You're like the little psychologist of the group. You could have figured it out right? Yes the perfect way to trick me would have been your plan."

"Ok, yes. I'm sorry but it was the only way." What could I do? He had a gun. But he wouldn't use it right? But if he did... There were a lot of innocent people in here. I needed a plan. "David, please, don't do this." I needed him stunned long enough I could get the gun. There was only one really disgusting way of doing that.

"Take my hand and lead me out of here. I'll keep the gun lowered so no one can see it." He stuck his hand out.

"Ok." The second I touched his hand I began acquiring his DNA. Disgusting thinking I would have his DNA inside of me but it would put him in a trance.

I grabbed the gun and pointed it at him. I looked down and saw Jake was just coming to. "Ok David you lost this round."

"Oh I did? You won't use that on me. You struggle killing the Hork Bajir so no way you would kill me a simple human."

"You are a terrible disgusting human who wants me and my friends dead."

"Oh no I don't. I just want the blue box."

"You can't have it."

"Then I'll kill your friends until you give it over." He started leaning towards me so I pulled back.

"Don't get any closer." The weight of the gun felt incredible. I'd never really held one except for a tranquilizer gun. "I'll shoot."

"No you won't." I had a new plan.

"Yes I would." I aimed at the floor. "He's got a gun!" I pulled the trigger.

People started screaming and shouting. I glared as best as I could at David. "Get out of here while you still can."

"You missed me."

"Well next time I'll aim better." He really thought I tried shooting him. But he was right the first time I couldn't shoot him. I did struggle with killing the Hork Bajir knowing they were peaceful herbivores who were enslaved by the Yeerks.

"Next time Cassie." He turned and ran with the others.

I dropped the gun and helped Jake up. "Some one has a gun we must get out of here!" I had too act like I was scared. We must look like every one else or it would be suspicious.

I couldn't believe it. Our first real date date was ruined by David. Not David as an owl as he should be but as Saddler. We called the others as soon as we could then I went out and found Tobias who then found Ax for us. Now we were meeting in my barn.

I was angry. I wanted a normal date with a normal guy away from all the things that made us freaks and one of the things that made us freaks followed us. "David doesn't have a 2 hour rule."

"So he could go cockroach and sneak inside our house and wait for hours until we went too bed?" I saw Rachel shiver. She wasn't scared she was as disgusted as I was.

"Yes, I guess. But he still says he wants the blue box."

(He can't have it. If animal bandits gained enough human attention it would also raise Yeerk attention.)

"I know Ax. We broke it back down and scattered it again."

"What if he saw you do it? He could have been watching us this whole time."

"No way Marco. If he knew where it was he would have grabbed it already and not gone after Cassie and I on our, um, time out."

"Date? Awww! You two went on a date! Cassie you should have let me known I could have put you in some thing better then those clothes and maybe done some thing with your hair. And make up, I could have," Jake finally cleared his throat cutting Rachel off.

"That isn't important." He looked over at me. "Right now. What is important is that David is still around and still dangerous. I'm canceling the attack on the Kandrona until we deal with David."

(Is that wise? Right now the Yeerks must be struggling with shipping Controllers to and from that site and the Pool Ship and other sources for Kandrona rays. If we can keep them spread apart it would slow the invasion down.)

"Well, David wouldn't interfere. Would he Cassie?"

"He just wants the blue box. And if we don't stop the Yeerks what good will his bandits do? Money won't mean much if the Yeerks win. If any thing he should help us because in the end it would benefit him and what ever benefits him matters most." If he was in my barn he would hear this. Maybe it would change his mind. Maybe it would make him leave us alone if even only for a few days. We would be leaving our comfort zone and going on a dangerous mission.

"He may not be thinking that far ahead. Or know what the Andalite's would do if they come here and think Earth too far gone for saving."

(The Quantum Virus is only a last resort.)

"It may be the only resort if we can't slow the Yeerks down."

"Well Marco can you call the Chee?"

"What, why Rachel?"

"I need a shower in the morning and with David able too morph any animal I want a hologram protecting me."

"Yeah, I'll make sure he chooses a female Chee, I guess. But couldn't they just change the hologram? What if they choose like by flipping a coin? Oh gee died in this life now flip a coin and see what I'll be next life. Heads a man tails a woman."

"I'm not sure how that works and I don't care I just need my morning shower too wake up and I won't let David steal that from me."

**2**

I couldn't sleep. My perfect day had been ruined by David. I missed the movie, missed spending alone time with Jake, and what ever might have happened. I don't know, I never been on a date before. A real one any ways.

And now maybe we wouldn't attack the other Kandrona we knew of which would only help the Yeerks. David was messing things up in so many ways.

That morning I wished I had Marco call two Chee. David wasn't obsessed with me as much as he was Rachel but I couldn't know what being trapped as a rat and knowing I was the one who came up with the plan did to his mind. Maybe now he would focus on me. I took as quick a shower as possible then went downstairs for breakfast. "Honey what are you doing up so early on a Sunday?"

"Couldn't sleep. I was thinking of that deer we rescued from the fence on Thursday. If that shoulder doesn't heal properly he'll never walk normally again. And if he can't run then we can't release him back in to the wild he would be killed by the first wolf that saw him."

"Cassie dear animals die all the time."

"I know and when it is by natural causes that is ok. But he gets caught on a fence and breaks his shoulder that isn't natural. That is our fault not his. An animal shouldn't die because of our actions."

"And those eggs were grown from plants were they?"

"Eggs aren't animals. I'm mostly vegetarian not a vegan. Also it isn't like the eggs were taken from a nest of California Condors or Bald Eagles. They were taken from a farm that has chickens for the sole purpose of laying eggs."

"So is the bacon on my plate. It comes from pigs raised on a farm for the sole purpose of becoming my breakfast. But you won't have any."

"The pig was an actual animal. An egg, especially unfertilized, is not an animal. Neither is milk even though it comes from a cow. Like I said I'm a vegetarian not a vegan."

"Well honey don't worry about the deer. I looked at his shoulder this morning and it does seem too be healing pretty well. I'll keep checking but maybe in a week or two it will be fine enough we can release him safely."

"I hope so." I had too many responsibilities. Homework, animals in the barn, and of course stopping an alien invasion. Lying to my parents was just another. How many had I told before the war? Some sure all kids do it but now? Dozens a week easily. But it was needed.

I was going out to the barn when I saw Tobias. (Hey, I saw a Golden Eagle near my meadow. It acted suspiciously.)

"Are you sure it was David?"

(No but pretty sure. Any ways I can't be staying in my meadow. If I fall asleep and he attacks me at a time no normal Golden Eagle would be out I'd be dead before I knew what happened. But that also means I can't hunt my normal area so could I have a quick mouse?)

"Where are you staying?"

(Rachel's. The Chee can cover me from her little sisters and mom.)

"I gotta call Erik and get a Chee of my own. David might give up on Rachel and go after me instead."

(I don't see him now but he may have beaten me here. Any word from Jake?)

"No." I couldn't call him could I? Yesterday was a disaster. But this was about David and not our failed date. "I just need too feed some of the animals first. I'll grab you a mouse while I'm in the barn."

(Thanks. If only I had a bigger bird morph. I'm the best in the air but the greatest welterweight boxer couldn't take down a super heavyweight. Heck he probably couldn't even reach the guys chin.)

After taking care of Tobias and the animals I called Jake. "Hey, yesterday was fun, thanks."

"Yeah. But you put off taking care of the animals. Maybe I could come over and help you out?" He caught on quick.

"Yeah, sure. And maybe later we could go see what Marco's friend wanted too show you." Jake had the Chee's secure number, I didn't.

"Yeah, I'll call them before coming over." He figured out what I meant, good.

"Thanks, cool, see you soon." My first time seeing him since... But this was about David not about the disaster yesterday. Which was only a disaster because of David. "Don't cry." I jumped and turned around seeing a woman I didn't recognize.

"Um, who are you?"

"The friend you ordered." The hologram dropped for a second revealing the Chee underneath. "We thought you would prefer a female like Rachel did."

"Uh, yeah, that was fast."

"I was nearby as a tree."

"A tree? And who near here?"

"We must keep those who wiped the Howlers out as safe as we can. If we can provide you with an early warning in case the worst happens it may make all the difference in the world." The hologram of the woman smiles. It was weird thinking that underneath was an android who probably would smile if it could. That it could feel emotions. "And since I faked my own death a couple months ago I've been put on tree duty."

"Why did you fake your own death?"

"Frustration with my own work." Huh. An android could get frustrated about their job? But this was no android any human could think of. They weren't machines they were sentient just not organic. They were made too be that way so they could be friends and not appliances for the Pemalites.

"What did you do?"

"Communications on the Pool Ship."

"That doesn't sound very boring."

"When you wish you could do more it gets frustrating not boring. I could have emptied the Yeerk Pool, shot the Blade Ship as it was coming in, so much more."

"But you can't commit violence."

"I know. Just because I can't doesn't mean I don't want too. Erik says it was the right decision having Jake hide the Pemalite crystal but he never gave us a chance. He says it was horrible killing but that was his experience."

"It is. I, I hate doing it. The Hork Bajir are innocent. And being human I have a hard time fighting other humans and hoping I don't kill one on accident."

"But you have the choice. I don't. If I did it and found it deplorable I could then choose too stop. But if I did what I have planned and then stopped? I could probably turn the war. Do you have any idea how many hundreds of thousands of Yeerks are kept on the Pool Ship?"

"No, no idea."

"But it is all moot. I can't do any thing more then throw up a hologram."

"Which I think is amazing and very helpful."

"Thanks. It can be. One time when I played a teen and was in school I got bored and may have played a prank on the teacher a few times."

"You can do that?"

"As long as it doesn't hurt any one."

"Erik never talks about doing any thing like that."

"Well we're all different."

"Really?" Wow. This Chee was really open about stuff. Erik was nice but he kept a lot about the Chee a secret.

"Of course. We were all designed by a Pemalite. Why do you think I am considered female and Erik is considered a male? The Pemalite who designed me was a female. She liked practical jokes and pranks so she designed my personality too express that."

"We've always wondered about that! Like has Erik always gone as a male? And if so why? So it is because the Pemalite who designed him was male?" She nods. "Cool. Well, until Jake gets here I should make sure the wolf gets his meds."

"I can help."

"You can?"

"As long as you don't ask me too reset a bone or knock it out physically."

"Well if you could hold the mouth open that would be great, uh, name?"

"Bobby. Sorry I was just so excited I was actually doing some thing. Sitting on the Pool Ship keeping track of communications was so boring. I went from being a reporter in Vietnam running around helping save lives while taking photos from deep inside the jungle to sitting on a ship. The Pemalite who designed me hated being on a ship. Was just too stifling."

"What was her name?"

"In our language you could never understand it. The best translation of it? Maybe Basseroodle. I butchered that. It doesn't translate well. But thank you for asking."

**3**

When Jake showed up I had the majority of the work down. Bobby was tireless and a lot faster then any human. The stalls were mucked the meds were given and now I just had the leg brace on the deer that held the shoulder still. "So what's after this?"

"Nothing. Bobby helped me get every thing else done."

"Bobby?"

"The Chee."

"Oh, ok. Uh, I don't see,"

"Boo!"

"Aaa!" Jake turned around and swung. Thankfully Bobby was too far away and he missed. "What, the, heck," Jake's heart must have been going a hundred miles an hour.

"Sorry too easy." Bobby laughed making me laugh a little even though I felt a little bad about it. "See how easy it is too hide? I was hide and go seek champion thirty one through thirty seven."

"Uh, which thirty one and thirty seven?"

"Nineteen thirty one and thirty seven." Strange asking some one that. But with the Chee it could have been just thirty one and thirty seven.

"So uh, you're Bobby?"

"Yep. So are the others coming? Ooo I've always wanted too be in on a meeting."

"No, not until later. Um, Cassie and I need too talk about, things. Could you go stay here while we go out?"

"Of course. I'm needed so she can use the bathroom and shower with out the Animorph known as David spying on her. Same as Megan is doing for Rachel. But I can do other stuff. I love animals I've been a vet twice and worked in the stables for different kings throughout Europe during the Middle Ages."

"Looks like Erik chose the perfect Chee for Cassie."

"Yep!"

I loved flying. With Osprey vision I could see so much farther than a human. And unlike a lot of birds of prey I can see through water. So I could see at the bottom of a pool and not just the shiny reflection on top. (So um, about yesterday, sorry.)

(It wasn't your fault Jake. We all thought he was trapped again.)

(If I had recovered faster I could have protected you.)

(I didn't need protection. And if he had hit me as hard as he hit you I doubt I could have gotten back up.)

(Thanks.) He had been worried about that since yesterday? That he didn't protect me? I never thought of that. I was just thinking of the disaster.

(So what do we do?)

(That's why I wanted too talk with you. I don't know what we can do. We can't trap him and we can't let him have the blue box. How do we stop him?) I knew what he was asking.

(We can't kill him.)

(Some of us can't. I'm pretty sure Rachel would. Ax and Tobias might if I ordered. Marco is calculating enough he might also.)

(But you know I won't.)

(I know. And killing a human, even David, should be agreed upon by every member. So I'm asking you now. If we ask for a vote and some one like Rachel or Ax volunteer too do it will you vote yes?)

(As much as I hate David I can't. I'm sorry Jake but no. Killing him is wrong. He didn't ask to find the blue box. He didn't ask for the Yeerks in his parent's heads.)

(So it isn't his fault what he did?)

(No! That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying the regular David would have gone on and never made any waves. But when it was all forced on him like that? He lost his family and any chance of a normal life. If he didn't change it would have been amazing.)

(For all we know he didn't change.)

(True. But I don't know what I would have done in his shoes. I come home with the blue box and a week later find out my parents are now my enemy? And I can never go home again or be seen in public? Would I kill and take some one's place? I hope I'd say no but I don't know.)

(I know you'd say no. But you're right. If I came home and found out Tom had made my parent's Controller's and had a Yeerk ready for me? If I escaped what would I do? I'd warn you and the others but then what? They'd probably go after Marco since he is my best friend. Rachel since I do hang out with her and she is my cousin and Tom's cousin. And then you because you're uh, my uh, you know.)

Thankfully Osprey and falcons can't blush. (I know. David is a threat unlike any other because he has the same powers as us and knows us. The Yeerks? They're every where and have advanced technology but we know if we see Chapman or a Taxxon they are the enemy. A fly on the barn door? A fly or David.)

(So you'd still vote no?)

(I would. Even if some one else would do it.)

(Well then we can't do much but keep the blue box hidden and go after the Yeerks.)

(So the mission is still on?)

(Yes. When I called Erik I set up the Chee who would play us. We aren't sure how long we'll be gone but thankfully the Chee don't mind playing us.)

(But some mind what we did.)

(Huh?) I told him about what Bobby said. (Oh, well, Erik is our source for the Chee. He says do this or that and I assume he is talking for all of them. With the Chee Net aren't they in constant communication with each other?)

(But they don't each other every thing. She said she could have sucked hundreds of thousands of Yeerks in to outer space.)

(That would have slowed them down.)

(Yes but wouldn't that be wrong?)

(Cassie they are the enemy.)

(But when they're out of a host they really aren't that threatening are they?)

(So you feel bad when they're in a host but you won't kill them when they aren't in one?)

(Well, if they just left us and released the Hork Bajir and um, other races. Maybe not the Taxxon since they made a deal or some thing and they all volunteered.)

(They won't Cassie. Maybe instead of going after the Kandrona we should go for the Pemalite crystal.)

(After what happened you were horrified by what Erik did.) Was Jake really thinking we needed more of that?

(And back then I actually thought about winning. Now? I'm just hoping we hold on long enough that when the Andalite fleet gets here they don't exterminate us.)

(So you would undo what the Pemalite's did because of the Yeerks? You would make them monsters?)

(I wouldn't make them any thing. I would give them the choice. Bobby would volunteer.)

(Because she has no idea what it is like. I can't believe you Jake. The Chee help us and you would return their help like this?)

(It isn't like I would make them or give them orders. Just the ones who volunteer could redo their programming and do what they wanted.)

(You would make them monsters.)

(If the Pemalite's had done it they'd still exist.)

(But would they deserve it? Winning is great but what if we win and find ourselves like, not, not worthy of winning? Corrupting the Chee would taint our souls.)

(Is it like cheaters never win? If we do some thing so horrible so we could win would we deserve the win?) Finally it sounded like he understood where I was coming from. (It might taint the few of us but the rest of humanity would be saved. And all the animals of Earth. I couldn't force the Chee but if I could go back and stop myself from putting the crystal in the ocean I would. I would let the Chee choose. And if they found it as horrible as Erik does, as you do, as I do, and went back I wouldn't stop them.) He was a leader in a war. He would take any help I'm sure. Even if it meant corrupting the Chee.

(I'm sorry. I couldn't do that.) But I wasn't the leader and this was why. (But I wouldn't blame you for doing it. You make the hardest decisions on Earth and I'm glad I don't make them.)

(Thank you Cassie. It can be hard some times. I make decisions I don't like but know they must be made.) If only I had known what decisions he'd be making soon. I could have done some thing maybe that would have saved a life or two.

**4**

When I got back home I felt a lot better. Hanging out with Jake as birds was so easy even with what we were talking about. Why couldn't a regular date be so easy? No butterflies in the stomach and stuff.

I didn't see Bobby in the barn. "If you're hiding please just come out now."

"I was hiding but not from you." She came out of one of the stalls. "Your dad came in looking for you. I didn't have your permission for copying you so I hid."

"Oh crap. Uh, I need a lie."

"You could call out his name and I could show an injured animal running in to the woods. Just tell him you were chasing it."

"You're a life saver. Um, make it another deer."

"No problem." I went out of the barn and waited.

When I saw the hologram deer I shouted. "Dad get the tranquilizer gun!" He came out of the house and sees me.

"Cassie what are," He sees the deer. Bobby gave it an arrow sticking out of it's back leg. "I'll grab it don't let it get away."

"I'm trying!" The deer takes off in to the forest and I chase after it.

I waited for my dad as the deer hologram flickered out. "Never mind!" I start walking back when I see him. "It got away."

"It probably got away from the hunter as well. This isn't any kind of deer hunting season. But if he used a bow then it wouldn't make a sound. A smart poacher."

"It was really fast so maybe the arrow will just fall out."

"I hope so. If it stay in and the deer hits some thing wrong it could go in deeper and hit some thing vital. Are you ok?"

"No, not really." I had too act like I was out of breath. "I've been trying too coax it for uh, not sure how long. I didn't know where the tranquilizer gun was and if I let it out of my sight it would get away."

"You tried. Well it looked like you got every thing else done."

"Yep. Getting up this early on a Sunday helped me get a lot more work done." I yawned. "But I think I need a nap."

"You got all your chores done so go ahead."

"Yeah. And a shower. Running through the forest isn't a good way of keeping clean."

"Check for ticks."

"Yeah, I know."

I went back to the barn. "Bobby, I'm taking a shower and a nap so uh, cover me."

"Of course that is the main reason I am here."

"Main reason?"

"Well I've wanted a more active role in the war. Doing what ever I can for the Animorphs is active."

"Have you seen a battle?"

"Kind of. When you guys were on the Pool Ship months ago I made sure the shafts were kept open as best I could. If I wasn't restricted I could have done more."

"It didn't disturb you? Seeing that blood and death?"

"I've seen plenty. Some of us have worked in wars as medics of various kinds. A fellow Chee was burnt at the stake for being a witch back in England."

"Was she hurt?"

"No she made a hologram of herself burning alive then broke the rope and escaped. Science was magic back then. Healing sword cuts and bones smashed by maces is gory work. We couldn't do too much or we might give ourselves away."

"What about Erik?"

"It depends. He worked in the Vatican a couple times. He worked as a hairstyler for Shakespeare and helped Newton with a couple things. He staid around artists and scientists for the most part."

"Why?"

"How he was designed. My Pemalite liked jokes and pranks and adventure. His liked learning as much as possible. I know you think us Chee like one race one mind but we are all different. My Chee didn't like being on a ship. But when they found a new planet or moon she would be the first one too volunteer for an exploration mission. Others would stay back and wait for new things being brought in so they could study it."

"You're right I did think you were all like the exact same thing. Sorry."

"Don't be we hide so much from others it isn't a big surprise you think that. I know we can't give away too much or tell your every thing but you are a friend. You helped stop those evil Howlers. You have saved countless races in the future from being wiped out. If you could have done it thousands of years ago you would have saved our creators." I saw her near tears. The hologram was showing what the android underneath wished it could do. I felt so bad for her. Some times you just need a good cry. But an android? Totally unexpected.

"Well, um, your welcome. But now I need a shower and need too shave my legs. I didn't this morning since I got out of the shower as fast as I could."

"Take you time. I'll see how far I can get in Pi before you're done." Now that was some thing I expected from a Chee.

**5**

Friday, school was out, and we were still planning our attack out east. "So we all have geese. My only problem is this city is way far east. I don't think we can carry a GPS unit with us."

(Prince Jake I have been observing maps and I believe I can get us there.)

"Don't call me Prince."

(Yes Prince Jake.)

"So when do we leave?"

"We can leave tonight. I don't want the Chee going to school for us again. My Chee got me a B on a history test and the next one I got a D and my parents freaked."

"Then can I have your Chee? Mine keeps giving me a C grade."

"Can I be Cassie this time?" We all jumped. Bobby had been hiding behind a hologram again.

"How long have you been there?"

"Once Cassie was done with my use this morning I came out here and watched the animals. I saw a rattlesnake and distracted it with a hologram mouse so it would not bite any of the other animals."

"Rattlesnake?" We all knew some one with that morph.

"David was here. Maybe he was looking for the blue box."

"Like I'd keep it here. Jake you know it isn't here."

"I know Cassie. But no checking on it either. If he follows you he could find it."

(He could not put it together.)

"I still don't want him finding it. Every one get some thing to eat and meet back here at one. Get some food and some sleep. Let's just hope it has gotten warm up in the mountains or we may be very cold Animorphs." As the others left Jake came over and took my hand in his. He was nervous but couldn't show it around the others.

"Cassie um, I'm hungry, are you?"

"Well, I was gonna eat with my parents in case this is the last time I see them."

"Oh, well," Over his shoulder I saw Bobby. She was making hand puppets and making kissy actions.

"But you could stay. I mean, if you want. I'd like that."

"As long as your dad doesn't try feeding me some of that chili of his. I can't believe Ax not only ate it but liked it."

"He's eaten cigarette butts and candy off the floor of a movie theater. I'm not sure if those would be any worse." We both laughed. This was easy. This was just normal pre mission jitters but it seemed so easy compared with what happened last Saturday.

"Well if I'm not needed I'll go be a tree until Cassie leaves." Normally that would sound weird but after all the things that have happened it wasn't that weird.

Dinner with Jake and my parents was great. My parents liked him a lot so that made things easy. He always came over and helped with the animals and homework and stuff. He was nice to my parents it was hard not too like him.

But after dinner he went home. I took another shower since it may be awhile since I could take another then I went to bed.

I was up and at the barn a little early. Thankfully so was Jake. "Jake what if we get lost? And how many stops will we be making? I should have looked up how fast a goose can fly."

"Between forty and sixty miles an hour. Yeah we'll be making several stops."

"It is over a thousand miles."

"If you take roads. We can go in a straight line so it might only be nine hundred miles. I think we might stop half way in a warm place and sleep."

"What? But, this, Jake it could take time for getting in to the Yeerk Pool. And flying back would take as much time as it will take getting there."

"We'll miss school. I told the others we wouldn't so they wouldn't get down about it. Ax and Tobias probably won't mind but Rachel and Marco? And you? I'm sorry I lied earlier but I'm telling you now. This could be our longest mission ever. We'll be going outside of our comfort zone."

"Way outside. Although we've been off planet before this feels so much farther. But we won't be getting in trouble will we? The Chee are a huge help."

"Yeah, they are. Even if they are limited." I didn't like the look on his face.

"What are you thinking?"

"I kinda know the general area where we put the Pemalite Crystal. The Chee who want it could look for it."

"Let them make the choice? And hope they make the wrong one."

"I know you hate violence. I hate it too but I know it is needed. I'll use the violence needed for slowing down the Yeerks. And who knows we may need the Chee in stopping the Andalite fleet."

"You don't really think the Yeerks would be that far in the invasion? Especially if you made the Chee violent."

"Who knows what they will do. Ax told me before in secret that there may be another reason for wiping us out. We are advancing faster then any race he knows of. Marco's father was already getting close to Zero Space discovery before he fixed the program. He first thought he advanced us centuries but now thinks maybe less then a decade."

"So?"

"So look at our history. We've waged countless wars with each other. Imagine what we might do if we find a planet with a lot of gold? We committed genocide on the Aztecs for it and they were humans. What would we do if the planet was inhabited by Hork Bajir? Simple minded herbivores." He was right. Humans in the whole are kind with their own but even the slightest difference like skin color or faith led to countless wars and genocides.

"So they may wipe us out any ways? Wow that kind of sucks thinking about. And depressing. Even if we some how won they might show up and wipe us out."

"How could we win? Short of them landing the Yeerk Pool Ship on Earth and by then we'd be dead or taken by Visser Three."

"Unless we got on the ship and some how piloted here. Exposed the Yeerks so maybe the military could take them out."

"Cassie? That's actually not a bad idea."

"Whoa, no. Getting on the ship would be suicide alone and if we did get it on Earth? Visser Three would get what he wanted and start an open war."

"Unless we crashed it. Huh, I wonder if Ax could pilot it. Cassie we could win the war!" Jake in his excitement knocked over a stack of shovels and other tools.

"Hey!" Rachel was wearing her morphing outfit so she must have flown here. "What happened? Jake could you yell any louder?"

"I, well, Cassie had an amazing idea."

"No, I didn't. No it was a terrible idea."

"What? Oh please tell me we're calling this mission off."

"No not yet. But Cassie could win us the war."

"NO! Jake, forget I said it. A billion things could go wrong. What if we needed more then one pilot? Only Ax could do it. We couldn't ask the Chee because crashing the Yeerk Pool Ship would kill all kinds of people."

"Let's do it! I love that idea! Can we do it now?"

"No! I can't believe I said that. Where would we crash it? What if it started a forest fire? Or if we crashed it in the water it could dump all kinds of chemicals and destroy the ecosystem. And they could send another."

(The loss of a Pool Ship would be devastating. The Andalite fleet would find out.)

"Ax, no, bad idea. You couldn't pilot the Pool Ship alone."

(No but the responsibilities for it shouldn't be that tasking. Simple thought commands when in contract with the right control panel would be all it takes.)

"No, no, no! It was a stupid idea. Can we focus on the current mission?"

"What are we not focusing on?"

"Cassie had an idea that we crash the Pool Ship in to the planet." I saw the color drain from Marco's face.

"Cassie why? Why? No that is more then suicide. I mean, no, that is exactly suicide."

(Unless we morphed cockroach. Nothing can kill a cockroach.)

"No Tobias, Ax, Rachel, no."

"I'm with Cassie on this one. We couldn't pilot that thing."

(I could with a little help.)

"No! Every one listen we aren't doing that. We have our own mission which will take us a long time just getting there. Jake please focus." I was getting upset. It was a horrible idea. How many people would be on there? Humans and Hork Bajir and Gedd and who knows what other kind. Slaves to the Yeerks. And if we couldn't control the fall of the ship and it crashed in a major city? Millions more could be killed. I should have just kept my mouth shut.

"She's right. We must focus on the current mission. We better start flying soon."

(We won't have thermals but I don't know how much a goose relies on them. So the faster we leave the faster we learn.)

"Did you eat?" I thought he might want another mouse but he never showed up.

"I fed him some burger off a Big Mac."

"Aww bird boy and Xena on a date." Rachel glared at Marco while Tobias moved over to the rafter above him.

(Stay still Marco I have a present for you.)

"Hey it was a joke."

"You shouldn't make fun of them." Tobias's life was hard enough as it was. If he and Rachel could find time for each other I thought it was sweet. I wonder what they could do. Did he morph to human ever?

"Just because your love life consists of forty year old men on the internet. Don't be jealous Marco."

"And your love life consists of mucking stables and shoving pills down a wolf's throat big Jake. I think I'll stick with girls on the internet who won't ask me too take a talon or two while she resets a wing."

"Jake never took a talon. The bird would be tranquilized before we tried that." I got too smirk at Marco for that one. Tobias and Rachel, Jake and I, we were four strange people but we... Had certain feelings and emotions that Marco didn't understand.

"So are we leaving?"

"Yes. Tobias are we clear?"

(We're in the clear.)

"Time too go. We'll see how far we can fly before we get too tired. If we need too we'll find a place and sleep."

"Oh great sleeping in a tight shirt and shorts in the middle of nowhere."

"We'll be in leotards so we're worse off."

(And we better have a tree. I don't sleep on the ground.)

"Let's just go." I followed Jake outside and soon we morphed.

**6**

It took three morphs and demorphs before we left the state. Already we were getting tired. (Jake are we there yet?)

(Marco you ask me one more time and I'll have Tobias morph to red tail hawk and attack you.)

(I don't know if I could do that in mid flight. But if Marco asks that again I'll do it with out your order.) We were getting on each others nerves already and it had only been a few hours.

(As long as we're here can we go and gamble? Think about it one of us stands behind a different poker player and can thought speak what they have.)

(Marco we aren't going that far south. And we aren't old enough.)

(So we acquire some one who is old enough. Come on this could be our only chance!)

(No! No more talking.)

(For me or every one?)

(You're the only one who has been talking Marco. Shut, up. We have a long ways too go.) Marco finally went quiet. I wanted too talk with Jake but he seemed annoyed enough already. (Ax are we on the right path?)

(Judging by the stars yes.) From then on we went quiet.

Several morphs later and one more state over we were all too tired. (I'm hungry and I don't know the hunting around this area.)

"I'd say let's buy some burgers but we have no money."

(And this desert has no grass. I can't feed as well.)

"So we're gonna starve to death? Great. I call first dibs on the drumstick."

(Hey!")

"We could morph seagulls and eat out of a dumpster. I don't care how nasty that sounds I'm starving."

"I don't think that works. We must eat as a human if we want our bodies getting any nutrients. But I never tried it."

(You're right Cassie. I eat as a human it doesn't fill up my hawk stomach.)

(Yes that is correct. Or else the human food like french fries and vinegar would need too be processed by my Andalite biosystem which may not be healthy.)

"So what? We go in as animals and steal food then pay for it later?"

"And clothes. It is warm right now but a desert can get to freezing at night." I couldn't believe what we were planning. "David would call us hypocrites."

"Except we'll send the places money. We aren't starving or freezing to death. Even better we can bring the clothes back when we wake up. I want two teams."

"I call clothes!"

"Rachel regular clothes not designer. But yes you were my first choice. You, Tobias, and Ax. I don't want Ax around food."

"Then we're on food detail? I can't have meat." Being a vegetarian limited what I could eat but it was worth it.

"Why I want you on the food team. Tobias any preferences?"

(Meat is meat cooked or raw.)

"Uh, Ax, we'll look for grass. Can you eat leaves?"

(If I stepped on one it would not harm me.)

"What about buffalo?" Every one looked at me like I was crazy. "They can travel hundreds of miles during migration. And they are big enough we could have carried bags on our backs."

"Now you think of that."

"And we would have been way more noticeable. A small herd of buffalo migrating east?" He was right. But it would have made this situation a lot easier.

"And they'd be slowed down by every little thing. Through the air is fastest. I was just thinking we could have carried some thing as a buffalo." So we would go for clothes and food.

Jake, Marco, and I couldn't go around in what we were wearing so as soon as we could we morphed. A wolf, tiger, and a gorilla walked in to a grocery store. No this was not the start of a joke.

People screamed and panicked. (Marco we'll keep you safe just grab a cart and throw stuff that doesn't need cooking or a can opener.)

(Salad for the lady raw hamburger for bird boy and a bag of chips for me. What will the other lady have? The blood of innocents? What else would Xena want?)

(Stop making jokes and just grab food! And drinks we need water and soda.) A security guard was getting close with pepper spray.

(Jake roar it will scare them more then a howl from me would.) When he did I could feel the floor shake a little. The guard dropped the canister of pepper spray and ran the other way.

(Ok guys got enough for a couple of meals and snacks so let's hope that the others got enough clothes.) Jake and I took lead as we left the store.

We met the others back in the desert. "Chips? This is a basic necessity?"

"Was the Gap a necessity?"

"Hey we're taking the clothes back later so it didn't matter how much the clothes cost."

"And I wanted snacks. So we're even."

"Ax did you find some grass?"

(Yes. Tobias says he would watch for me so I can eat.

With a full stomach and warm clothes I and every one else was ready for some sleep. But I was a little concerned about the sleep arraignments. Even with warmer clothes we would still be cold at night. "Maybe we should have stopped flying earlier. The day would be warmer."

"It is only three. If we wake up before it is too late maybe we can stay apart."

(Huddling together for warmth is a common tactic when in cold weather. Or when the climate controls on a ship goes out.)

"I don't mind huddling with Jake or Cassie but Marco can go huddle alone."

"Come on it is a tactic like Ax said."

(How about every one goes to sleep now? I don't normally sleep during the day but I'm so tired right now I could sleep on the ground.)

"I'm ready for a good sleep." I kept yawning and struggled standing up.

**7**

It was dark and freezing when I woke up. I slide across the sand and found Jake. "Jake, Jake, please wake up." I shook him a little harder until his eyes woke up.

"Cassie? Oh, Cassie." He sat up. "Wow it is cold."

"Yeah I think that is what woke me up." He hugged me then let go.

"As long as the others are sleeping maybe we should leave them alone." We both lied back down. I held his hand and looked in his eyes. This was nice. This was easy. I felt him run a finger from my wrist to my elbow. It sent chills through me. "So um, maybe when we get back we could try another date."

"Maybe. It wasn't our fault that last one blew up. I was having a good time until David showed up."

"I'm glad one of us didn't have butterflies in their stomach."

"I'd describe mine more like a flock of birds." We both laughed quietly.

"This mission is extremely dangerous. Can I get a _yes we lived_ kiss before we go through the actual near death battle?"

"I was looking forward to an after date kiss. One that didn't need me demorphing from a wolf or you from a Tiger before doing." I leaned towards him and he leaned towards me.

"Whoa! What is that? A radioactive deer?" We both shot up.

"No man I think it is an alien."

"Yeah but humans, what? Maybe it kidnapped them."

"No! It is an uh, college prank." Jake took the lead as Rachel and Marco woke up.

"What?"

"Yeah we kidnapped a freshman from a different fraternity and painted him blue then stuck a costume on him." Oh crap Ax woke up.

(Prince Jake?)

"Whoa what was that?"

"Ax stay down and shut up." This was bad what could we do? Ax couldn't morph. We needed a distraction.

"Yeah! We're helping our friend with it." I hoped I yelled loud enough.

(I got this.) Yes it worked.

Tseeer! Tobias came down and attacked.

"We must be too close to her nest! Run!" I took off hoping the others would follow.

When we got far enough away Tobias informed up Ax had morphed a fly and was on him. "Wow she must have just gotten back from hunting."

"What kind of bird was that?" One of the ones who stumbled on us was bleeding a little.

"A territorial kind. Um, crap he probably got away. Sorry Ja, Jay."

"I'll just grab another freshman tonight. I can't fail this test."

"Well, uh, we were hiking and we saw you. Sorry for messing up your prank or what ever it was. We're gonna get going just not that direction. We don't need that bird attacking us again." His friend checked his wound.

"Do you need a rabies shot?"

"He doesn't. Birds don't carry rabies."

"Oh, cool. Come on we better get out of here."

"Us too." Jake led us away from them.

A few minutes later we went back. "Good job Tobias."

(Cassie woke me up. Still a little tired.)

"Same here but I guess we better return these clothes and get out of here."

"After a quick breakfast." Marco opened up the chips.

"Chips for breakfast?"

"Why not Rachel? We can have what ever we want as long as it is here."

After eating and returning the clothes we morphed back to geese and took off east. I should have been thinking of the mission but was distracted. I kept thinking of Jake slowly moving a finger up and down my arm as he leaned close to me. If those hikers hadn't stumbled upon us... I better keep my focus or I might lose the others. Even if all I could think of was Jake and, (Cassie!)

(Huh?)

(You're flying away from us.)

(Oh, yeah, sorry.) I went back to formation.

After several more demorphs and morphing back we made it to the city. (Now what?)

(Erik said the entrance was in the airport.)

(Wow.)

(What Marco?)

(You guys must have read all those conspiracy theories right? Online?)

(Some of us have lives.)

(Or live in a meadow.)

(Fine maybe Xena and not her bird boy side kick but come on. Every one knows the conspiracy that the airport is the entrance to a secret alien base.)

(How did it leak? The Yeerks would not allow that.)

(Well it existed before the Yeerks got here but still. How messed up is that? I mean it is like making a fake bomb threat so you can get out of school then a real bomb goes off.)

(So we check out the airport and go in.)

(That's about it. Erik said the Kandrona is right there in the Yeerk Pool. Since no Andalite Bandits are attacking here they don't have as much security.)

(So no hunter killer robots or Gleet Bio Filters?)

(As far as Erik knew.)

(We need too eat and get some sleep first. Jake we can't do any thing like we did last time. If the Yeerks hear about animals attacking a grocery store they'll know it is us.)

(You're right Cassie. But what do we do? I was thinking maybe we could beg for money or do a performance.)

(I could do gymnastics.)

(And I could do stupid pet tricks. Or do a tic tac toe competition with my pet hawk.)

(You want me playing a game for money?)

(If they win they get the money. They lose we keep it. What do you think?)

(It might actually work. Unless I lose every game because it has been years since I last played that game.)

(Well I think we should try it. Cassie and Marco stick with Ax outside of the city. There should be plenty of coverage in the mountains.)

(Shouldn't we be on guard for you?)

(We should be fine. I'll have Rachel perform near me in case a Yeerk gets curious about my pet hawk. We'll land first and make a camp.)

(Please choose a place with grass I am hungry and can not simply eat pre processed food.)

(We'll try.)

**8**

I stared at the sky hoping Jake would be back soon. My stomach grumbled. I was jealous of Ax who had eaten already. Marco was sleeping. I couldn't. I was worried about the others.

I had fallen asleep with out even realizing it. But I saw Tobias as he flew farther and farther down. "Marco, wake up."

"Huh, what, why?"

"Food."

"Alright!"

(Not yet. Jake already bought a bunch of junk food. We're gonna hide it in bags then have all of us fly down, grab it, then eat it on the roof of a building.)

"Why?"

(It might look weird if a bunch of kids sat around in leotards and sleepwear eating. So we'll be out of sight then come back here and sleep.)

"I got a nice nap I can keep watch so we don't have a repeat of last time."

"Yeah, thanks Marco. Did you eat Tobias?"

(Caught a rat near a dumpster so I'm fine. I'll keep watch over Ax while you two take off. Look for the falcon circling over a McD's.)

"This should be fun. Osprey's are a good size but I don't know how well we can carry bags of food." I started morphing.

After eating and going back we all tried sleeping but the rock we were on was not comfortable. I tossed and turned as did the others. It was a nice warm day thankfully but I just couldn't fall asleep.

I finally did fall asleep and when I woke up I was sore all over. And it was dark and getting cold. Marco and Ax were already awake. "How long have you two been up?"

(I have been up for nearly an hour. Marco woke up seventeen minutes ago. Tobias woke up and went hunting and scouting.)

"Scouting? He better be careful."

(I'm sure he will.)

Once Jake and Rachel woke up Tobias was back. "Any news?"

(A lot of people go in and a lot of people come out. But more go in then the planes could be carrying out. I morphed human and went in and I think the two main bathrooms are the way in. I thought maybe going fly but I doubt they would have good enough eye sight.)

"I could try dragonfly. Hitch a ride on you and then fly in."

(Exactly what I was thinking. I'm guessing it will be a stall and you probably twist the handle a certain way or tap a certain tile.)

"That would be the Yeerk way." I raised my hand.

"I have a Dragonfly morph."

"You do?"

"Yeah. And I could figure out the woman's bathroom entrance. That way you don't need too go in there and stuff."

(I can carry two.)

"Ok. So we go in and find out how they get in then come out. Keep an eye on watches so you know how long you've been in morph. If you must demorph in a different stall."

"Got it." I started morphing in to a Dragonfly.

Tobias got as close as he could before we dropped off. (Jake please be careful.)

(You too Cassie.)

I dove through the doors like a bullet. The Dragonfly can fly around twenty to thirty miles an hour. Easily one of the fastest if not the fastest insect. And the eyes! It was a little difficult getting used too but once you did you could see every thing.

It wasn't hard finding the bathrooms. And with the eyes I could see every stall while hanging from the ceiling. Six stalls in total I just needed a Controller too come in.

I saw a watch, forty minutes had passed.

I saw a different watch, an hour has passed.

A new watch, nearly an hour and a half. I should demorph soon. The handicapped stall would be more then... There! A door opened in the third stall and the woman disappeared inside.

I demorphed and remorphed then flew in to the third stall. Now that I knew which one was the entrance I just needed too see the process.

About half an hour later one came in. She lifted the top of the tank and pressed a button inside. A panel appeared and she entered a code. Six five nine three. The door appeared and she disappeared inside. Now I could leave and hope Jake had found out the way inside through the men bathroom.

Trying too fly high enough I could find Tobias was not what a Dragonfly was built for. (Tobias please I can't fly much higher.)

(I see you I'll try and fly under you then come up and have you land on me.)

(I see you now. I'm ready.) He turned back up and I landed on his back. (Have you seen Jake?)

(He's some where back there.) I had been directing my thought speak at Tobias so Jake wouldn't have heard me.

(Jake! I found the way in.)

(So did I. Let's go back and tell the others. I think we should try and sneak in.)

(We aren't going in for killing Hork Bajir just destroying the Kandrona.)

(Exactly. I think we should sneak in and morph some thing like Hork Bajir. Grab a Dracon Beam and blast it.)

(Tobias and I have Hork Bajir morphs. I think Marco and Rachel grabbed one from the free Hork Bajir colony later but does Ax have one?)

(I doubt it. He can be a distraction outside of the air port. In case we get in trouble we can have him show up as himself. The Controller's will freak.)

(Only if we need it. Being an Andalite out here isn't exactly safe. No forest for him too hide in while he morphs.)

(He'll be a last resort.) We clung to Tobias as he flew back to the others.

**9**

We told every one our plan. "So it isn't exactly suicide."

"Why not kill as many as possible? If we can get our hands on Dracon Beams why not blast as many Yeerk scum as possible?"

"Rachel a lot of them are slaves. What if your little sisters were down there?"

"Well, we could blast the Yeerk Pool cause some chaos so we can escape."

"We'll see what happens. Ax stay outside as some thing small. Demorph and attack if I give you the order."

(Yes Prince Jake.)

"Every one else we go in small demorph in the bathrooms then go in. Try and get alone and morph in to Hork Bajir."

"This sounds like fun. Just one Yeerk realizes we don't belong down there and we're dead."

"So don't do or say any thing stupid. In other words don't be you Marco."

"Very funny Rachel. No holding hands with Tobias once he has them."

"Marco leave them alone." Why did he feel the need to make fun of them? It was hard enough for Tobias he didn't need Marco piling it on.

I went Dragonfly again. I went in ahead of Rachel and got to the bathroom. I demorphed and waited for her. I lifted the lid and saw the button as she demorphed. I pressed it and the panel appeared. "Get ready Rachel."

"I'm ready." I entered the code and the door appeared.

The staircase went around a middle pole several hundred steps. When we stepped out you could see the Kandrona right away. It hung over the Yeerk Pool. "Nice chandelier."

"Shh." No one else was talking. The line to the Yeerk Pool was short. I didn't see any cages. Were they all voluntary?

I saw Jake, Marco, and Tobias. (Hey, can you hear me?)

"Tobias?"

(Just nod if you can hear this.) I did. (Ha, this is a morph for me so I can thought speak. Jake noticed there are no Hork Bajir down here.)

"He's right." Oh crap our plan was going down the drain.

(He also noticed no one is resisting. No Dracon Beams either.)

This was bad. Our plan needed Hork Bajir and Dracon Beams. Now what did we do? Rachel and I tried walking over to the others as calmly as we could. We couldn't look out of place or... Wait. There was no defense. They thought they were safe. How could the Andalite Bandits know about this place? Why the security was so lax.

When we got to the others I told Jake about it. "So as long as we don't do any thing too obvious we should be safe."

"They must have weapons. Just in case we did show up. Maybe one of the shacks near the Yeerk Pool has them."

"But we can't sneak around them. No one else is near there."

"I'm thinking Dragonfly again. You guys crowd around me and I'll morph. If I find any I'll tell you." We went to a corner and checked making sure no one else was looking.

I flew well above every one in the Yeerk Pool. I couldn't see that far but I was sure I would recognize a Hork Bajir or Taxxon from this height.

The shacks had doors but I could go under them.

I went from shack to shack. Food, drinks, and some first aid but nothing like a weapon. What could we do if we didn't have any weapons?

Two shacks left and I finally found them. Six Dracon Beams. They weren't prepared for an attack. They had only volunteer Controller's here. And we were a thousand miles west with no way of knowing about this place. With out Erik and the Chee we never would have.

I flew back and told the others. "I still think Hork Bajir. It will confuse them if Hork Bajir shouldn't be here."

(I'll start. I'll fly over and morph Hork Bajir. I can break the door open and hand out the weapons. Don't draw attention as you go over there.) I took off for the shack.

I made sure no one was looking as I demorphed. As soon as I could I morphed in to a Hork Bajir.

The others had made it over before I had finished morphing. Tobias was the riskiest because he needed too demorph to his normal self before becoming a Hork Bajir. But no one was looking over here and even if they did the shacks block their view.

As soon as Tobias finished I smashed the door open. (I wanted too do that.)

(Just grab the weapons. Aim for the Kandrona and blast it first. If time we'll hit the Yeerk Pool.) I grabbed one and set the power at high.

"What's going on over there? Who ever is over there that is a restricted," He saw five Hork Bajir Warriors step out armed. "That, there, you shouldn't be here."

(Says the Yeerk Scum.) I didn't think it was smart for Tobias too communicate with a Yeerk but that did sound like some thing Ax would say.

(Fire!) I pulled the trigger as did the others.

The Kandrona shuttered as the placements holding it to the ceiling broke. The Kandrona fell in to the Yeerk Pool. Sludge and Yeerks flowed over the sides. (Shoot the Yeerk Pool I don't think they have any other weapons and it could take time before back up arrives.) We all followed Jake's orders and fired.

I was running back towards the shacks when a blast broke the wall of the Yeerk Pool. Thousands of gallons of the sludge poured out with hundreds of defenseless Yeerks. As much as I hated them in their natural state they were helpless. I crushed some under my feet as I started running backwards.

I fired at a shack and it burst in to flames. People were screaming and running for the exits. (Ok fire a couple more shots and then demorph. Run for the exits like every one else.) I fired at another shack then dropped the Dracon Beam and started demorphing.

I ran for the exits. It would look strange all of us leaving the airport bathrooms at the same time but airport security wasn't that tough until you tried getting on the plane, right?

I was the first one out and ran for the exits. I ran and ran until my feet screamed from the pain. Humans wore shoes for a reason.

I morphed to Osprey and flew for the camp site. It was where we were meeting. The others should be right behind me. Oh please be right behind me.

I landed and demorphed. I saw Ax flying slow circles above. I didn't see any other birds.

It had been what, five minutes? Ten? I didn't have a watch. Maybe I should morph back and look for the others. They must have made it back out! They should have been right behind me. (Cassie I see Prince Jake and Marco.)

I couldn't respond. Where were Tobias and Rachel?

When Jake and Marco landed they told me what happened. "These automatic doors started closing. We got out and realized we were in the wrong bathroom. But we weren't the only guys in there so we didn't stand out."

"So you didn't see Rachel or Tobias?"

"They went up the other staircase. I'm sure they'll be here soon." Jake took my hand in his and squeezed it.

We waited a few more minutes when Ax saw them. (Rachel and Tobias are coming.) He flew down and demorphed.

We had done it. We destroyed the Kandrona and the Yeerk Pool. All with out killing any one. "Glad you two could make it."

"Stop for a mouse?"

(No Marco. Police were called because of the sudden riot at the airport. We had a little trouble getting past them.)

"So now what? Do we fly back?"

"It's all we have left. Who knows we might get back home by Tuesday."

"We have an exam on Wednesday can we take a long break?"

(Marco your Chee will get you a C so you might as well take the test.)

"What ever." Now all we had left was flying back. Which of itself was a huge task.

**10**

Two more days of flying back but we made it. Bobby was waiting for me. "So how did it go?"

"Well, I guess. We didn't kill any one."

"Well that is good. We've been getting reports about it. They aren't sure who did it. They think it was the freed Hork Bajir."

"Really?"

"All they saw were Hork Bajir. No animals or Andalite's. So now they're looking through records of which Hork Bajir knew of the project and which ones had been freed since."

"What if none match?"

"They won't know. Apparently there were a few major glitches and they lost half their roster sheet I guess you'd call it."

"Convenient." I yawned. We slept for a couple hours but were in such a hurry too get back we didn't bother with food or any thing. We just flew, slept, then took off again.

"Need help with any thing?"

"Could you carry me to my bed?" I had been joking but a Chee was very strong and she picked me up easily.

When I woke up it was the middle of the night. I was starving. I went down to the kitchen and made a sandwich. And then another. And then I opened a can of green beans and ate that. I was still hungry but had school in the morning and should try and get more sleep before then.

The alarm went off. I smacked it and I think I broke it. I didn't care. I was still hungry and still tired.

I went through school the next few days like a zombie. I was so tired and when I got home from school I then had the animals. For once I didn't feel like dealing with them as much as I loved them.

Saturday. I slept in until near noon. I finally got enough sleep. But the animals who took care of them? My dad would have yelled at me if they hadn't been fed.

I got dressed and went outside to the barn. The animals were fine. "I thought you needed some extra sleep. You don't mind do you?" Bobby! She was a life saver.

"No of course not. Thanks."

With nothing to do I went back in the house and called Jake. "Hey, um, wanna go to the mall?"

"Sure. Give me half an hour."

"I'll meet you in front of the food court."

"Ok, cool. My treat." He hung up. Was this a date? I hadn't even thought of that. I needed better clothes then these. And a shower.

I ran back out to the barn and had Bobby follow me back so she could use her holograms for me. David was still out there some where. What he was planning... I wouldn't worry about it right now.

I got to the mall and saw Jake was waiting for me. "Sorry I couldn't fly so I went by bike."

"No problem Cassie." He took my hand in his as we walked toward the food court. We were just a regular couple getting lunch.

A regular couple getting lunch. And then a regular couple watching a movie. We held hands and ate popcorn and watched the movie. My stomach wasn't doing flip flops. I wasn't nervous.

As we left the mall we stopped at our bikes. "Well um, this was nice." Now I started getting nervous.

"Yeah, it was." He smiled, he wasn't nervous was he? "Well that last mission was actually easy. The trip there and back was the hardest part."

"Yeah that's a first."

"It wasn't that dangerous once we got inside. And we weren't nearly killed."

"For a change."

"So I didn't get a _thank god I'm alive_ kiss." My heart started beating faster.

"Um, well, we don't need one every time. We can just have a regular couple kiss." I had to get on my toes so I could kiss him.

His lips on mine, our tongues touching, he hugged me closer. This was what normal couples did.

When we pulled apart I was breathless. "I'm gonna have a hard time peddling home."

"We're both old enough maybe one of us should get a license."

"I can just see it getting blasted by a Bug Fighter."

"That would be our luck."

"I don't know. We've lived through every battle I'd say our luck is pretty good."

**A/N So.. longest one yet. Following Cassie was a lot easier then Ax. I focused more on her inner thoughts then the last two as well. Her and Jake working at being a normal couple between fighting Yeerks and David. Introduction of Bobby who explains several things about the Chee for Cassie and reveals that some still wish they could do more. And David is back! But what is he doing? Waiting for the Animorphs too make a mistake? And the Yeerks are spreading out the invasion. How big a blow was this mission? Slowing things down there by destroying the Kandrona and Yeerk Pool should help right? Or will it speed things up? We must wait and see!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Animorphs 30 The Missing (Marco)**

**Author James the Lesser**

**I do not own the characters, Applegate and her many Ghost Writers do! ****But I do hope any who read this will enjoy, even if I change things up!**

**1**

My name is Bond, Marco Bond. Suave super Animorph for the… Well, actually, my last name isn't Bond. But I am a suave Animorph. I have more enemies, less training, but just as good a record of success as James Bond. At least when it came to fighting the bad guys and saving the day.

The spring dance was coming and I was trying to get a date. "Come on Michelle you know you wanna go with me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Remember third grade when you," I put a finger on her lips.

"Don't finish that sentence." That was a pretty terrible thing I did. But it was funny so worth it. "Can't you forget what happened all those years ago?"

"Never jerk." Another strike out.

At lunch I saw some one handing out flyers. "What are these for?"

"My sister. She went missing. Have you seen her?" I looked at the picture. Yes I had seen her. During our last attack. "No, sorry. But I'll see if my friends have." I took a flyer and looked for Jake.

He was sitting with Cassie. "Hey you two not in the lunch room we'll lose our appetites." I sat down and showed them the flyer. "Look familiar?" Jake takes the flyer from me.

"No, should she?"

"She was in the," I leaned forward and whispered. "Yeerk Pool during the last attack out east. Remember? She is a Controller."

"Oh, well, not a lot we can do about it now."

"Yes there is. The Yeerks are kidnapping people now. They aren't waiting for people to join the Sharing any more. They're just grabbing and forcing slugs in people's ears." Cassie takes the flyer from Jake.

"That sucks. But what can we do? We can't exactly fly back out there and save her if she's even still there." She was right. But I had an idea.

"Why not turn the tables on them? Why not kidnap some Controllers?" I could think of a few I'd love to kidnap." I look around the cafeteria and see Vice Principal Chapman.

"That, that is a good idea. We could focus on high level ones at first. Strike fast and kidnap them and hold them until the Yeerk dies." Cassie seemed on board but Jake saw the flaws.

"Where do we keep them? How do we make sure they aren't voluntary hosts? And we'd need the highest targets because after one or two they'd raise security. And what if the rest of the family isn't infected? They would want who ever we took found."

"Um, well, we know Melissa's parents are both involuntary. Only did it to protect her. And if we get them we could take her."

"Take her where Marco? Jake's right we don't have any place to put them."

"Um, give me time I'll think of a place. Tell the others and meet at the barn after school?" I hadn't grabbed food yet so got in line.

At the barn I waited for the others. Bird Boy and Ax were still out where ever and Rachel was looking for them. Leaving me with the two kissy kissy members of the Animorphs. "So do you two always kiss after shoving pills down a wolf's throat?"

"We didn't kiss Marco."

"You did it with your eyes." Ha! Jake was blushing and I'm sure Cassie was you just couldn't tell because of her skin color.

Jake and Cassie, I knew it would happen. The way the two acted even before we met Elfangor showed they liked each other. But throw the two together in an epic fight against the Yeerks and the two could do nothing but get closer.

Then there were Rachel and Tobias. She was a blonde gymnast and he was a bird. I don't really remember the two hanging out before this all happened. But some how they ended up together. Sharing mice under the moonlight in the meadow.

And then Ax. The local Andalite. The only survivor of the Dome Ship crash. He was interesting too say the least. When in human morph he was dangerous around food. You see, Andalite's don't have taste buds. So when you get him around some thing like cinnamon buns he goes crazy. But man you get him around computers and he'll make you the best system on Earth.

The shadow overhead let me know Tobias had made it. The sound of hooves let me know Ax was right behind.

The, don't let Rachel know I said this, beautiful blonde in a leotard doing a cartwheel let me know she had made it. "So this is Marco's party?"

(A party? Will there be cake? I had some before and it was very sweet.)

"No Ax, sorry." Normally Jake would take the lead but this was my party as Rachel put it. "People are being kidnapped by the Yeerks. So I think we should kidnap them."

"Like who?" Ah, Rachel couldn't hide her excitement. Of course she'd think kidnapping Yeerks was a good idea.

"Chapman to start. We know he is high ranked and would be a blow to the Yeerks if we got him. And we'd have his wife who is a Controller and we'd grab Melissa so she wouldn't be taken by the Yeerks."

"Who else?" Jake was rubbing Cassie's elbow in a way I'm sure hid it from the others. But from where I was standing I could see it.

"We know the Chief of Police is up there. He might be well defended so he would be first and we'd grab him at home."

"And then what? Where do we take them?"

"Two choices. The Chee or the Hork Bajir. That valley is well hidden and the Chee holograms make it even harder to find. We just call Erik and see what they can do."

"Ok a good start but what about the actual kidnapping? We can't just go in guns blazing. Marco the police chief is married and we don't know if his wife is a Controller or not."

"Why we grab both. Or even better make it look like they just left." I thought it was a good idea but Jake, being our leader, just had to one up me.

"Or make it look like they were still there. The Chee can just take their place. We'd have the Controllers but the Yeerks would never know."

"And Tom. We could rescues Tom." I'm glad Cassie brought it up. I didn't know how Jake would react. "And just replace him with a Chee. It would make Jake safer at home."

"Unless my parents are also Controllers. My father was head of the hospital a few months back when I got infested. Maybe he was innocent maybe he wasn't." Another thing I didn't think should be brought up because it meant telling him no.

"Either we replace the whole family or we leave them alone."

"But, Tom would know. We get him just before he goes back to the Yeerk Pool and when the Yeerk comes out we can ask him if your parents are or not." Cassie was holding Jake's hand now.

"We could try that. But seriously we gotta be careful. We kidnap the police chief and things go wrong we may not be able to cover it up with the Chee. I know Rachel would just go in as an elephant but if the Yeerks hear about the zoo visiting the house of a known Controller they might get suspicious."

(And if some one calls your Earth police we would have to flee.)

"I want you and Tobias scouting his house for a couple days while we wait for the weekend. Check his patterns. When he leaves for work and gets back. And follow his wife. If she is a Controller then we'll need to, to, secure her. Marco call the Chee. I'll think of a way we can grab them with out raising suspiscion."

"Why not just use the Chee for cover and use a stun gun?"

(Those are highly ineffective. If we could get a Dracon Beam and set it for stunning it would also give us range.)

"I doubt we could get one Ax. Or a stun gun. Maybe we should go with brute force. Use the Chee but have them cover a gorilla breaking in and taking out the Controllers."

"I'll knock on the door and say trick or treat so they think it is a costume."

(Marco it is no where near Halloween.)

"It could work Tobias. Maybe Yeerks won't know."

(Sure Marco. But in case that doesn't work I'll go over and watch before night comes. No thermals at night make it hard to stay airborne.) I see Tobias fly out of the barn.

"Well looks like I won't be watching the Full Metal Alchemist marathon this Saturday." I check the time. "I still have homework to do. See you guys later."

"Don't forget to call Erik."

"I won't. The first thing I do when I get home."

**2**

I forgot my father would be home with his new girlfriend. "Oh, hey, I have home work."

"Yes you do." Why did he start dating the math teacher? "Don't forget order of operations."

"I know. PEMDAS."

"Very good. I guess that nap didn't get in the way of my teaching."

"I'm sure he was just resting his eyes."

"And head." I'm glad they could laugh about it. I had been up the night before burning through the new Mortal Kombat. Almost had my favorite unlocked.

Once I was sure they were busy watching television I grabbed the phone and went to my room. Jake and I were the only ones who knew the Chee's secure line. Every one knew about them but if any one else was captured they couldn't reveal the only secure way we knew of contacting them. "Hey, is Erik there?"

"This is him Marco. I'm always connected. What do you need?"

"Holograms."

"Of course. But for what?"

"We're gonna go out and kidnap a few Yeerks. We want it so no one notices they are gone."

"How many? We currently have about forty or so Chee free."

"We'll do two this weekend. The police chief and his wife." Hmm, Erik would know right? "Hey, is his wife a Controller?"

"Yes but not a very high ranking one. What else do you need?"

"A place to secure them. If you guys can't hold them we'll take them to the Hork Bajir."

"Please do that instead. The fewer who know where one of our bases is the better."

"Ok. I'll call you in a couple days when I know more."

"Got it. See you soon dude."

"Yeah, you too Erik." An Android so old that he knew Moses when Moses was just a baby calling me dude. If only that would be the weirdest thing I did this month.

School, homework, school, homework. The dance getting closer and closer. And Agent Marco was striking out again. "Kelly it would be great. I'd pay for dinner and your dance ticket."

"No."

"I'll pay for uh, what else would you want?"

"How about you pay me twenty dollars and I'll tell people you turned me down." The nerve of some girls.

"Well, actually, seriously?"

"Sure. No one will believe it."

"Never mind." There must be one girl at this school who would say yes. There must be!

Friday, one week and one day from the dance. But the others who already had dates were focused on some thing else. "So he gets home every day at seven. And his wife always greets him at the door."

(Yes Prince Jake.)

"Don't call me Prince."

(Yes Prince Jake.)

(Yes Jake. Every night. Pretty boring actually for a police chief and a Yeerk. They both went to the Yeerk Pool yesterday. So if we get them tonight we would only have one more day before the Yeerks starve.)

"So I just morph gorilla and knock on the door."

"Actually I was thinking we just break in. He'll come to the door and you knock him out." Seemed simple enough. But we're the Animorphs nothing ever goes that easily.

Erik had me covered with a hologram. Walking as a gorilla was easy on grass but on the cement of the sidewalk it was rough on the knuckles. (I'm almost there.)

"The other two Chee are ready. Just make it fast I can make people see what we want but I can't really hide noise."

(I know I can do this.) I was just in front of the door.

I turn the handle and can hear the lock break. A normal human could never do it but for a gorilla it might as well have never been locked.

I accidentally knocked a table over. I needed them to come to me any ways so that worked out.

Except I wasn't planning on them being ready. This was a total surprise right? How could they have know… David! That bastard must have found some way of warning them. Or they were just paranoid. Either way the police chief had a shotgun. "Andalite! Even better than some foolhardy burglar." He pumped the first round in to my gut.

I was a gorilla. I was about five hundred pounds of muscle. And now some of that muscle had metal rattling around in it. It phased me but I had a mission.

(Go to sleep!) I hit him on the head. I may have done it a little harder than I should but I was in a hurry now. Some one would report the gun shot. And now his wife knew not only some one was here but they deserved a shotgun blast.

I heard footsteps coming and waited. The second she came around the corner I tapped her on the head. Ok, tap may be a little light. (Come on guys get them out of here and clean up the blood.) I was already demorphing.

I was demorphed and morphing in to an Osprey as the Chee cleaned the place up. "Good job Marco. By the time the police, who I'm sure will be Controllers, it will look like nothing happened." I went out through an open window leaving the Chee to do their thing.

Erik could carry the two Controllers easily and a lot faster than any of us could to the Hork Bajir colony. He beat the rest of us there and by the time I landed the Controllers were already tied up and being looked after by the Hork Bajir. "So now what?"

"Erik says you might have held back a little more." I shrug my shoulders.

"I was shot and trying to do it as fast as I could."

"Anyways now that we have them we just wait for the Yeerks to die."

"You sound disappointed Xena."

"I sat there and watched you do all the work."

"See? I told you she'd just go in as an elephant and smash every thing up. And since we didn't she's disappointed." I stick my tongue out at her.

"I could have done it with out getting shot."

"And you would have lead elephant tracks up to the door. Sorry Rachel but Marco had the best morph for the job." She couldn't argue with Jake.

"Now what? We just wait and see if any one notices the police chief is different? I'm actually with Rachel this is not exciting." But after getting shot maybe nothing exciting would be nice. "And I still have time to go home and see some of the marathon."

"Not so fast. We need Ax and Tobias here to help guard them. But both need to eat eventually."

"I'll take first watch with Tobias."

"And hope for some thing exciting? Or just wanna stick around your Bird Boy?"

"We have to discuss the dance. You know the one you'll be going to, alone."

"I still have a few girls to ask."

(And all will say no. Maybe you can have Ax take a bunch of DNA from girls and mix them together to form a new human morph that is a girl.)

(I do not think that would be appropriate.)

"I'll get a date. I just haven't asked the right one."

"Ok, Rachel when you get done with watch get Cassie. And when you're done get me. I'll get Marco."

"And I'll get the dog who gets the cat who gets the rat who gets the cheese."

"Are you the rat or the cheese Marco?"

"I think we all know who the cat is." I took a step back before Rachel could hit me.

**3**

I was on watch when the Yeerks starved. It was horrible watching how much pain the hosts were in as some thing died inside of their skulls. "Who are you? What are you? Andalite?" The police chief recovered quickly while his wife slept.

"No. A friend. We replaced you with others."

"A two hour limits what you can do as me. You'll be found out soon."

"No we won't. Now what kind of Controller were you?"

"High ranked."

"I meant did you volunteer."

"No, not at first. But after awhile you just give up. Better to walk around free in the Yeerk Pool then be stuck in a cage for the few minutes you had those damn slugs out of your head." Wow that was sad.

"Well, ok. So just sit tight and I'll get the others."

"The others? The blonde, the black girl, and the white kid? Who are they? Who are you? Are you the ones causing so much trouble for the Yeerks?"

"No." I didn't think it was safe to tell the guy too much. Let Jake decide how much he should know.

I told Tobias who told Rachel who called the rest. Soon Jake took charge of the situation. He didn't ask, he just did it. He just knew that he should. "Hello, I'm Jake. These are my friends. We help the Andalite Bandits." See? I wouldn't have come up with that.

"Good. I'm sure they would need human help keeping a low profile. Although they must be desperate if they gave you morphing abilities."

"They are."

(We needed an insight on the world that one couldn't get by simply watching.)

"You look familiar."

(Yes. I have attacked before with the rest of the group still alive.)

"Not many of you left if I remember correctly. And the others use Earth animals."

(We need diversity as we don't have weapons. And the varied species of this planet give us plenty of choices.) I see Ax flanked by two adult Andalite warriors. I knew they were holograms but the former Controllers didn't know that.

"Earth is amazing. Too bad the Yeerks simply want it for our bodies."

"Yes, well, we need names. What hosts do you know of that are high ranked Yeerks?" Jake brought paper and a pen. Again some thing I wouldn't have thought of.

"Oh well, the Vice Principal of the local high school, Chapman I think. He deals with different parts of the invasion. I provide security he deals with the Sharing crap."

"Who else?"

"Well the president of the Sharing Michael Boeing. If he disappears it not only eliminates a Sub Visser but hurts the Sharing's image. And the media director for the Sharing Sharon Peters. Pretty much focus on the upper crust of the Sharing." If we replaced them all with Chee we could dismantle the Sharing!

He listed off a few more names, including Tom's, before his wife woke up.

"What's going on? Honey, I, Honey!" She seemed too realize the Yeerk wasn't in her head. "Are we dead or free?"

"Free. We're free." Watching two adults cry was a little disturbing.

"Um, did any one warn you? You were kind of quick with that shotgun." He shook his head.

"No. The Yeerk thought you, the Andalites, might come for him sooner or later. And in the end you did." He was staring intently at the two hologram Andalite warriors.

(That we did.)

With the success of the last mission we planned for the next one. "Thursday night we go and get Chapman."

"And Melissa. She isn't a host or any thing and she won't understand what is going on until her parents are free. Maybe it would be better if we left her with the Chee as her parents." Maybe Cassie was right. Melissa would be a third person to grab and get out of there.

"The fewer the better right? I'd hate to hit her knowing she wasn't a Controller."

"I've thought of that. And it is a toss up. Rachel what do you think? She's your friend. Do we take her?"

"Not really, not any more. But I don't think it would be a good idea. Until the Yeerk left her parent's head she'd think we were crazy. And even after that it would mess her up. Maybe it would be better if we left her at home." Was the Warrior Princess about to cry? "Keep as many people out of this as we can."

"I don't know. Maybe she could join us and then I'd have a date for the dance."

"Shut it Marco."

"Snippy aren't we Xena?"

"We didn't choose this but now that we are what we are we should make things as easy as we can for others."

"And I figured you'd want more warriors for kicking butt."

"She's not a warrior." Rachel gets in my face. "And half the time neither are you. If you're that hard up for a date maybe we should have Ax morph a girl for you."

"Hey don't get so upset Rachel I was just joking. Geesh, mood swing much?"

"Shut up."

"Marco, Rachel, cool it. So is it agreed? We leave Melissa at home." We all nodded. "Then Thursday night we switch out her parents."

"If I get a gorilla morph can I have the fun part?"

"No way Rachel I'm the only one who gets to morph a gorilla. How would you feel if I morphed a grizzly bear or Bald Eagle?"

"I, well, fine." Being protective of our morphs seemed weird but hey they were our morphs.

"Now we just need a way of getting her out of the house. Rachel could you invite her to go clothes shopping or some thing?"

"No, well, it has been awhile. Maybe just hang out for a bit."

"Maybe she'll want to buy a new dress. For the dance and stuff." Rachel rolls her eyes. "Hey she might say yes."

**4**

The next day at school I hunted, er, ran in to Melissa. "Hey, you got a date for the dance?"

"No."

"No you don't or no you're turning me down before I even ask?"

"First one. As for the second part if you're asking me only a couple days before the dance it means all the other girls you asked turned you down."

"Hey I was just making sure the other girls had a date. But you were my first choice. So what do you say? You could go get some thing cool at the mall later with Rachel."

"Now how did you know she asked me to do just that?"

"I didn't. But she was hanging with Cassie while I hung with Jake."

"And Cassie and Jake have been dating so you were all hanging out. Why not ask Rachel?"

"No way. I'd rather go with you."

"Ok, sure. Eat and stuff before right?"

"You got it." Ha, Suave Animorph Bond, Marco Bond.

We watched her house. Rachel walked up to the house and knocked. (Make sure you talk me up Rachel.) I see her roll her eyes.

"Hi Rachel! I'm so glad you asked me earlier. Are you sure you didn't ask Marco to ask me?"

"Of course not. I can't believe you said yes."

"Why not? Marco can be cute if you forget all the childish stuff he's done." Well, not exactly a ringing endorsement but I'll take it.

(Just wait a few minutes. I see Erik with the two Chee replacing the Chapman's coming up the street.) I look and see Jake, the Peregrine Falcon, land on a tree branch.

(Guys,) Tobias lands across from the front door. (I saw a Gold Eagle flying nearby. It could be David.)

(Or a Gold Eagle. But keep an eye on it just in case. We can't have David messing things up.) I thought maybe David tipped off the Yeerks before but he hadn't. But maybe he was this time.

(Jake we might wanna call this off. If that is David and he tips them off I could end up with another gut full of lead.)

(Tobias is it acting weird?)

(No. It is flying away. Riding the thermals. Lucky for a couple local cats.)

(Then we go through with it. In five minutes I want you to fly down and morph in to a gorilla. Be careful but be fast.)

(I was just gonna climb up the side and wait for the Bug Fighters too shoot me down but I guess I could be careful.) I start slow circles going lower and lower with every one. I must look like your every day Osprey.

On the ground I demorph behind some bushes. I see Erik walking two dogs. Those dogs were other Chee throwing up holograms. He winks at me letting me know it was safe to morph.

Again the cement of the sidewalk scraped my knuckles. I walked up to the door and knocked before turning the handle. "Melissa did you forget some thing?" I could hear his footsteps before I could see him. I just had to wait for the right moment. "Melissa did you hear me? Did you forget," He came around the corner and saw me. "Anda," I hit him on the head knocking him out.

I could feel the rush of air as the Chee ran by me. "Marco I can't knock her out but I can grab and carry the other one down here for you."

(Thanks Erik.) He ran up the stairs and came back down with her in what seemed like less than a second.

"Let go of me wha," I tapped her on the head knocking her out.

(Good job now get them to the Hork Bajir colony. We'll meet you there.) Jake had another successful mission! This one was even easier than the last one!

(Too easy. I mean sure a shotgun blast to the guy sucked but this was a little too easy.)

(Then let me make things more interesting!) That didn't sound like Jake, or Tobias.

(David! Guys he used the holograms to hide. I didn't fly low enough to see through it. He must have been one of the cats I saw.)

(And now?) I was still inside the house and I wasn't near a window.

(He's an elephant.)

"I can hide him inside the same hologram but I can't hide the noise or damage he does." I jumped when I heard Mr. Chapman's voice. Of course it was a Chee.

(Marco get out! A gorilla is strong but an elephant is out of your league.)

(I'll give him a great big opening!) I heard the crash of elephant in to wall. I turned and saw David barreling in through the back of the house.

I was a big strong gorilla. He was even bigger and stronger. And with those tusks he could skewer me. (I'll take the front door thank you very much.) I turned and ran as best a gorilla could.

I got out the front door and down the sidewalk as fast as I could. (Guys this is bad!)

(I know, I know! Just give me a minute.)

(Now what will you do? I've just ruined your plans! The Yeerks will be on to you now!) I turned around and saw him coming near the front door. But I also saw the floor bending under his weight.

(Hey, David, I think you should lose some weight.)

(What are you talking about? Calling me fat? Really?) He stopped. He shouldn't have. (Is that the best you have Marco?)

(I wasn't calling you fat I was calling you heavy.) The floor gave way and David fell in to the basement.

(Jake what do we do?)

(New plan we grab Melissa as well and replace her. No, we, no we just make the Chapman's disappear. New plan Tobias go find Rachel and tell her Melissa is going to the Hork Bajir colony and no one is replacing them.)

(She won't like that. She doesn't want Melissa pulled in to all of this. We should just replace her parents and let them try and explain what happened.) Jake and Tobias argued for a few minutes while I hid and demorphed.

One of the Chee came over to me still disguised as Mr. Chapman. "What do we do? Are we sticking around or should we leave?"

"I have no idea. Jake will figure it out." I looked up. "Hologram is still up isn't it?"

"Yes." He lowered it and I could see Tobias circling in the air.

I waited a few minutes when Jake flew down. He demorphed as Tobias landed nearby. "So what's the plan?"

"Same as before. The Chee make up an excuse about what happened here. But we stop the kidnappings until we stop David."

"Then we better get to the Hork Bajir Colony."

"Right. But first we let Ax meet the Chapman's. We don't let them see us until the Yeerk's are out of their heads. No contact with them unless you are in morph and no talking. We talk through Ax."

"Got it Jake."

"And keep an eye out for Golden Eagles. None of us are as big as he is but we can be faster. He doesn't have a two hour limit like we do. Don't morph or demorph alone. We're at our weakest then." He starts morphing back to his Peregrine Falcon morph.

We were near the coastline following up before cutting towards the mountains when I saw a shadow. It saved my life. (Watch out!) I turned as sharply as I could. The Golden Eagle that was David dived past me.

He clipped a wing and I lost control. (Marco!)

(Keep going I can handle him!) I spread my wings and catch a thermal off the warm sand.

He was flying back up towards me but I had the advantage and a plan. (Come on David is that the best you can do?)

(That was just a warm up!) I keep gaining height off the thermal and turn towards the ocean.

We were a few hundred feet out over the water when he caught up to me. He was big and those talons could rip me apart. If he caught me. (Come on Marco fight me!)

(Catch me first.) I turned sharply and dove for the water.

I could tell by his shadow that he was right behind me. (You're too slow David.)

(I'm right behind you! Nothing but the water below so either drown or let me tear you apart!) David forgot one thing.

The Osprey prey mainly on fish. They can get wet and still fly. A Golden Eagle wasn't designed to hunt fish and so was not exactly waterproof.

I flew for a large wave and turned just enough that I was under the crest. David tried following me but his large size made his turn slower and he hit the wave. (No!) I turned up towards the sky leaving him behind. He would demorph and swim to shore but that would mean the rest of us wouldn't be dealing with him.

**5**

It took two days before the Yeerks starved. Jake made sure we staid in animal form as he talked with Mr. Chapman. "So you're part of the Andalite bandits?"

"Sort of. They do the fighting. We go in and spy and report back when they need us."

"Us? More than one human helping them."

"Yes. But you'll deal with me for now."

"That's fine. But I have to ask what happened to my daughter?"

"She's fine. We have two replacements looking after her."

"That's good. Tonight is the dance isn't it? Saturday if I kept my days straight."

"It is."

"And you'll be going with Cassie who I'm sure is another part of all this. Her knowledge of animals would be helpful to the Andalites."

"It is. But about you. You did it for Melissa right? At least that's what the big one says."

"Big one?"

"Andalite's have really long names. When they aren't around we call them by nicknames. So is it true?"

"Yes. We kept her safe. Even if it meant giving up our freedom." He looked over at his wife. It was like he was seeing her for the first time. "We did it for her."

"Yes we did. But now what? Are you sure she will be safe?" Jake simply nodded. "How are you planing on keeping the Yeerks from finding out?"

"We have our ways. At least the Andalite's do. If we let your restraints go will you cooperate?" Both nodded.

It was strange seeing them in the Hork Bajir colony. And when they met the police chief and his wife you could see the relief. "We had no idea you two were taken. If the Andalite's are that good then I'm sure our daughter will be safe."

"They have done a good job I'm sure."

Thankfully I had an excuse to leave. I had a dance to ready for. Except...

"No!" Melissa was going back on our date.

"Hey it isn't my fault your house collapsed or what ever. And wouldn't you like a night away from it? Before going back to your hotel room."

"I just want to go home." Oh great now she was pouting.

"But you can't. So go to the dance with me. I didn't eat earlier cause I figured we'd be going out." I reached for her hand but she pulled away.

"Well now we aren't. Just leave me alone. I'm going back up to my room."

"Well hey they have a pool here right? How about we go swimming and skip the dance? Or maybe soak in the hot tub after eating here. They have a restaurant in the hotel right?"

"Well, I am hungry and it is a free meal." Alright!

"Free meals are the best." I follow her inside.

Relaxing in a pool after a good meal was awesome. And swimming with Melissa wasn't bad either. "Any idea what happened?"

"Nope. Mom says the house just caved in like an elephant ran through it." Well at least they told her the truth even if she didn't realize it. "It just sucks. I salvaged some things but the insurance is gonna be paying for all new clothes and stuff."

"Did you make sure to tell them about losing the Picasso you had hanging on your wall?" Got her to laugh. Am I good or what? Just call me Bond, Marco Bond.

I was walking her up to her room when some thing crazy happened. I heard a voice in my head. Gee, isn't that strange? Unless you're an Animorph. (Marco! I just saw you walk by a window! David attacked the dance. Jake sent me to get you and Ax. The others are dealing with him but the Yeerks must know it wasn't some random elephant attacking the school.)

"Well Melissa tonight was fun. Hope I took your mind off what happened." Like I could respond to Tobias. Even if I wanted to which right now I didn't.

"You did. Thanks. Tonight didn't suck as much as I thought it would."

"Well I'm glad you got a good memory of me then. Help you forget about all the childish stuff I did when I was younger."

"Six months ago count as younger?"

"I've really matured since then." Ha, another laugh. Make a girl laugh and you're in. At least that's how it works in the movies. "Night Melissa. I'm sure Jake is waiting to tell me all about the dance."

"Oh Marco I danced with Cassie, we had some punch, and danced some more. I'm glad I skipped the dance."

"I'm glad you did to." I leaned down to kiss her but she pulled away.

"Not that good a night. Maybe next time."

"Next time? Well then it's a date." She closed the door in my face.

(Marco! Dude get out here!) I walked to the nearest window and waved. (About time dude by the time we get back he might be gone.)

And he was. (Sorry I was busy.) Jake and Cassie were still in their dance clothes so they obviously hadn't morphed. (Tobias says it was really bad.) Jake could only nod in response. (Any one hurt?) He holds up a hand showing three fingers. (Bad?) He shakes his head. (Well we got off easy right? Chapman is on our side.)

(And so is the police chief. Ax do you see them?)

(Yes Tobias. He's keeping things under control.)

(Jake any idea where David went?) I saw him mouth Rachel. (What if she goes after him alone? She might kill him.) He looked over at Cassie. (Oh. Right.) Was Jake really planning on having Rachel kill David? Or was he just hoping she would do it? David was annoying and dangerous but could we really kill him? He was working for Crayak so he was an even bigger enemy then before.

We met back at Cassie's barn and waited for Rachel. It was past midnight and she still hadn't come back. "I kinda missed curfew an hour ago. We can't wait forever Jake." I kept checking the time. It was all I could do in here.

"Same here. But we must wait. Thankfully I made a call to Erik and they sent our copies home." That was Jake being Jake. If I had been more focused I probably would have thought of it.

"And it gives me a chance to look after this owl. It broke a wing a couple days ago. Jake can you help me?"

"Of course." I don't know if Jake was lucky or not. Sure Cassie really liked him but he was going to take a claw or two from an injured owl because of it.

Two o'clock.

Three o'clock.

I had fallen asleep when a Horned Owl flew in screeching. "What?"

(I know where he is staying! Get up I know where he is!)

"Rachel? What time is it?"

(Doesn't matter! Wake up!)

(Aaaa!) Tobias was not happy. The bird part of him saw a predator flapping at him and attacked back. (Die! Die! I won't let you kill me!)

(Tobias stop!)

(Rachel?) He nearly hit a rafter as he flew back. (Don't do that! How many times have I told you not to do that? You'll either kill me with a heart attack or I'll kill you!)

(Sorry! But we gotta go. I don't know if David will stay there for long or not.)

"Ok every one morph and follow Rachel."

(Should I get Ax?)

"Yes, no, Rachel where is it?"

(Remember where we were attacked by the monster Visser Three trained to hunt morphing energy? Those houses were rebuilt but people aren't buying them. So it gave David a place to stay.)

(I know where that is. I'll get Ax then meet you there.)

"And I was just getting to the good parts of my dream." I start morphing in to an owl.

**6**

David was sleeping. It would be so easy. I could morph in to some thing like a wolf and get him. A wolf could walk so silently even the most alert deer could be caught off guard. (What do we do Jake?)

(I don't know. We can't trap him can we? Unless we kept him in the cage for the rest of his life.)

(I'll do it.)

(Rachel no! We can't kill him.)

(Then don't do it Cassie. I'm tired of having a Chee around so I can take a shower.)

(I don't even notice Bobby any more. And unless I talk to her first she is just a chair in the corner.)

(That's nice for you but I notice. But I want it done and over with.)

(Jake! Tell her no.)

(Rachel we know where he is staying now.) Jake then went silent.

If it was me I would be giving Rachel orders directly. If I were the leader I'd be giving her the go ahead. But I wasn't. And I might have been wrong.

We watched for a few minutes. He didn't look like the threat he really was. (Jake, I think we should go.)

(Yes Cassie. Every one we should go before any one notices a bunch of birds sitting here.)

(Prince Jake he is a threat. He should be eliminated.) Jake didn't respond. At least he didn't broadcast it so we could all hear it.

I started flying home when I saw Rachel and Tobias land. They weren't near her house so why did they do that?

I flew back and landed nearby. They were talking directly to each other so I couldn't hear. When they took off again I knew where they were going. I should get Jake. I should tell him what they were planning on. I didn't do what I should have done.

Tobias kept watch as Rachel demorphed then morphed in to a wolf. She had the same idea I had. I flew and landed a tree behind Tobias. (What would Jake think about this?)

(Marco? What are you doing?)

(What do you think Tobias? And no I'm not talking with Rachel. I'm not here to stop her. I should be.)

(David scares her. He scares me.)

(He scares me to. But what will happen when Jake finds out?) Rachel was already in the house. Soon she would go up the stairs and find David.

(We'll hide it.)

(And let the rest of them think he is still out there?)

(I, well, I don't know.)

(You didn't think this all the way through. You still have time to stop.)

(No. This is our best chance. I'll tell them I did it to protect Rachel.) Wow. That must be what it is like too care for some one.

(And I went home and saw nothing.) We would be responsible for this. Was it murder or self defense?

(Help!) Rachel was in trouble? But David was sleeping wasn't he? (He must have heard me!) I heard the growl. He had morphed in to a lion.

I dove and went through a closed window. The glass cut me up but it gave Tobias a clear path. He was the better flier and would be more of a threat as a bird. I would demorph and morph... No, Hork Bajir would be better.

As soon as I was human I started morphing in to a Hork Bajir. Blades growing out of my body. Soon I was so tall I had to hunch over so I wouldn't hit the ceiling. I could hear the whimpering of an injured wolf. I had to get in there and help. (Here I come to save the day! And I look like a nightmare.)

I charged in to the other room and see Tobias riding David like a cowboy on a bull. His talons digging in to David's flesh.

I leapt forward and slashed David across the flank. He roared and swung a paw at me. He got me on the arm. My blood dripping on the floor only enraged me even more. I slashed again and again. (Marco watch out I got a talon stuck in him!) I realized I had nearly cut Tobias.

(Marco? What are you doing here?) Rachel was bloodied and wounded. Half her front left leg was gone.

(Saving the day as always.) I stuck my claws deep in to David again and slashed as far as I could. David finally fell from his wounds.

(Do it. Come on, do it. If you can.)

(I can.) Rachel limped over to him.

(Then do it psycho. Prove to every one how much of a maniac you are.) She stopped.

(Jake knew I would do it.) She growls. (He told me if I did it then it was my own decision too do so. He wouldn't order me but he wouldn't stop me either.) She started demorphing.

(Weak. I knew it.) He started demorphing.

(Xena might not be able to but I never said I wouldn't.) I raised a fist. The blades would be aimed for the heart. All I had to do was punch him in the chest. (But I won't this time. Get out of here David and leave us alone.) I stood over him giving time for Rachel to demorph the rest of the way and escape.

The three of us landed on top of Rachel's house. (Thank you for following us Marco.)

(No problem. I was thinking about going back as well. When I saw you two I knew what you were thinking, planning.)

(You don't think I'm a sociopath do you Marco?) She sounded really concerned. Did she care what I thought that much?

(Who says it is such a bad thing? If all wars were fought by Cassie's what would we have? NAZIs running things. We need warriors like us who are willing too do what it takes to win. But no you aren't a sociopath you just know what needs to be done and will do it.) I took off for home as she flew in to her bedroom.

**7**

Seeing Rachel at school on Monday was awkward. Knowing what we had almost done and knowing that Jake had planned it was disturbing. He played on Rachel's violent tendencies. Was she a sociopath? Maybe. But is that what we needed? Yes.

We sat apart from each other. I think Jake knew Rachel went back. He was probably waiting for Rachel to tell him the job was done. Well I'd let him know.

I sat down next to him. "It didn't happen."

"What didn't happen?"

"She went home. Tobias went home. I went home."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. Do you think I didn't figure out that silence? It was only silent for those not named Rachel. She didn't do it."

"Ok." I got up and left.

I walked up to Melissa after last bell. "Hey, about that next time how does next Friday sound? Got the new Batman coming out. Heard the Riddler and Two Face are in it."

"Sure. Meet you at six?"

"Great! But I better get going. I have homework. And chores."

"One nice thing about living at the hotel is they have maids." Smile, close to a laugh.

"Can I borrow one? My room is a mess." And there is the laugh.

But I did have chores. And homework. And a visit. Any one else would freak out when a red tail hawk knocks on your window. But for me I was actually expecting it. "So Tobias is he still there?"

(No.)

"We did the right thing." I didn't sound very convincing.

(Maybe.)

"Rachel is ok. At least she was at school."

(I know. I hunted early so I could see her. It is nice having my vision. She can write her responses down so we can talk.)

"And give her the answers on the test."

(She didn't take any tests today.)

"I told Jake we all went home."

(And?)

"That I knew what he told Rachel. But that she went home."

(Thanks. I can't say I'm mad at him but he was using her. I'm glad she told me so I could follow her.)

"We should have done it. He won't let this go. He'll come back and hurt us some how."

(Maybe you should all get Chee. Maybe I should get one. That way I could sleep at night.) My phone rang. (Could be Jake.)

"Yeah, maybe." I go to the living room and answer. "Hello?"

"Marco, please, my barn, get here." Cassie? I didn't know she even knew it.

"Hey, Tobias is here."

"Just get here."

"We'll be there." I went back to my room. "Cassie, we're having a meeting."

(I'll wait.) I got down to my boxers then morphed to Osprey.

We could see the smoke long before we got there. (No, he didn't do that.) Tobias was wrong. Of course David had done it.

All those animals in cages and stalls killed by a fire. Birds, wolves, horses, and others gone in flame. Cassie was crying and Jake tried to comfort her. The fire department was putting it out but it was too late. (Jake, I'm sorry.) We were there. Rachel, Tobias, and I. We could have killed David. We could have saved these animal. Instead they were killed by David.

I watched the fire be put out. There was nothing I could do. Except hunt down David and kill him. (Tobias if you help me I think we can find David.)

(Rachel and Ax are already looking for him. Jake may not do it because of Cassie but we will.) He took off and I followed him.

I saw several Golden Eagles but they weren't David.

I was hovering above Jake's house when I saw it. A person turning in to an elephant. He was going after Jake's family. Tom was a high level Yeerk. It would make sense that after the Chapman's he would be next. (Jake's house! He's attacking Jake's house!) Were his parents home? Was Tom home?

I dove down and landed in the backyard. What could I morph that could stop an elephant? Even a Hork Bajir was weak compared to it. I needed more fire power now.

I was morphing in to a Gorilla when I saw two shadows. (He's going up the driveway now. As soon as we land we'll morph in to Hork Bajir.)

(Have Rachel morph in to an elephant. It is the only thing big and strong enough.) I went to the shed and ripped the door off. Inside was an axe and a sledgehammer. I would need both.

I was going through the backdoor when David smashed through the front. (Die!)

(You couldn't do it the first time you won't do it this time.) He was backing out so he could try another charge.

(I will this time.) I threw the hammer and hit him on the head. An elephant was strong but thankfully that dazed him long enough I could take a few more strides. I raised the axe over my head when I saw a red flash come from the second floor.

"Die Andalite!" Tom was home and he had a Dracon Beam.

"Hhhrrroooo!" David trumpeted in pain as the beam seared across his shoulder.

I swung the axe and struck him in the trunk. Blood shot out as I pulled the axe out. Another Dracon Beam hit David. (You may have won this time Marco but I'll be back.) I swung again but hit a tusk. The axe bounces back and almost strikes me.

I ran for the back as Tom fired a beam at me. He missed but set the wooden table on fire. I was out of the house and headed for the shed as the fire spread.

I was demorphing when I heard screaming. It sounded like a guy's scream. Was Tom in trouble? I couldn't save him he would kill me. Once I demorphed I morphed back to Osprey. I was tired from all the morphing but I had to escape.

I took off. The heat from the fire lifted me quickly. I looked down and saw two elephants. One was hurt badly while the other one was fresh. (Rachel! I see police coming. Get to the backyard and demorph.)

(I told her that already and she's ignoring me. She wants him dead.)

(If any of those cops are Controller's they'll kill her.)

(Fine!) She shoved David to the side and ran as best an elephant could to the backyard.

He was hurt. Burnt by Dracon Beams, cut by an axe, and gored by tusks. But he was demorphing as he stumbled towards a neighbor's house. (Tobias find the nearest Chee.)

(Why?)

(We're getting Tom.) I flew back down and landed on the neighbor's house. Tom was outside coughing from the smoke. He would be ok. Rachel was near the shed already losing weight as she became human again.

The police got closer and closer. Would Tobias find a Chee in time? This was our best chance. They would know it was another attack on a high ranked Yeerk. But if we moved fast enough they wouldn't know we switched out the real one again.

The police had just pulled up when I saw it. Even with a bird's vision I could barely see it. The Chee moved in and grabbed Tom. Another one was just behind it and took Tom's place. "About time you got here!" It must have known these were Controller cops. "They attacked my home. Thankfully no one else was here. That is two of us they've openly attacked."

"We're sorry Sir. We've increased security but we can't know who they will go after next." It was funny seeing a police officer cower in front of Tom. He had the badge and the gun but Tom was his boss. At least the real one was.

I saw a Bald Eagle fly away from Jake's house and followed it out to the Hork Bajir Colony.

We had done it. We had Tom. And Jake had no idea. He was still at Cassie's. Poor Cassie. Those animals were her life. They were her father's life. And now they were gone. And only a few moments later Jake's house catches on fire. Hopefully the Chee playing Tom could come up with an excuse. (Make sure the ropes are tight.) Mr. Chapman helped since Ax's hands were weak compared with humans and a Hork Bajir would have a hard time tying a rope with all those blades.

"I know I'm making them tight." I see a smile on his face as he tightens them again. "His Yeerk took great pleasure in ordering me around. Don't worry Tom I know it isn't you."

"How? I saw you after the attack. You aren't here you aren't helping the Andalite bandits." Tom struggled against the ropes but couldn't get out.

"I guess the people they have playing us are that good. I'm sure the one who plays you will fool every one." I hoped Mr. Chapman was right. Jake's life was in more danger now than ever before. If this Chee failed at playing Tom it could all be over.

I demorphed and remorphed in to a Hork Bajir. I wanted to stay close to Tom until Jake made it. This was big. He agreed to fight so he could one day free his brother. And now we had done it. If we could only do the same for my mother, Visser One.

When Jake landed and demorphed Tom went a little crazy. "No! No! You can't be one of them! You're the little brother! No!" He started rocking back and forth on the chair. I could see the wooden chair would break if he kept it up.

(Stop.) I put a blade under his chin. (He helps us.)

"No! I don't believe it! I can't have had some one like that living under the same roof as me!"

"Believe it. When the Andalite's told me about my brother I joined them." Jake looked like he was almost in tears. "And now they've done it. They freed you. I owe them every thing."

"I'm not dead yet! They'll look for me!"

(No they won't. We replaced you. No one will ever look for you because you aren't missing.) I pulled the blade away and spoke to Jake directly. (Sorry but it was all I could think of. Once your house caught on fire and we scared David off it just hit me.) He simply nodded.

"I'll get away and I'll bring the others here. I'll get a promotion! I end this free colony of Hork Bajir and I might get promoted past Sub Visser and straight to Visser!"

"You won't escape. Your Yeerk will die and my brother will be free."

"Never! I will escape!" He starts struggling against the chair again.

(We might need a metal chair.) Again he just nods.

**8**

Cassie was a mess. Her barn, her animals, her life were gone. She couldn't tell her parents why it happened. Her mother knew about the Yeerks but not David. She couldn't tell her parents it was partially her fault this happened. No, I can't blame her. She voted to let David in but she couldn't have known he would end up like this.

She couldn't kill him. She made a trap for him. We thought that would end it. But he came back. We trapped him again but we were fooled. And then... If we had just killed him in that house this never would have happened. She couldn't kill him because of her conscience. I didn't do it because I was weak. Rachel didn't do it because she knew she was being manipulated by Jake. And Tobias, well, I guess he was just protecting Rachel.

It turned out Jake's double from the Chee had taken over as Tom. And he had a plan. He couldn't be Tom forever. Tom gave orders to kill. Orders a Chee couldn't. So we would attack a Sharing meeting.

At the same time we would target the President Michael Boeing and Head of Media Sharon Peters. I would grab a Dracon Beam and kill Tom. This meant the real Tom, who should only be hours away from getting rid of the slug in his head, could never return.

We all waited. Jake was the only one who had revealed himself to be human so the rest of use were Hork Bajir or Andalites. The Chee again had holograms of adult Andalite's. "No! I won't die like this! I am close to becoming a Sub Visser! As soon as I escape I will lead them here and end this colony! I might even skip Sub Visser and be made a full one!"

"Keep it up you will be dead soon."'

"I still have time!"

"Only a few more hours at most." Jake was relishing this. He was getting his brother back. Even if his brother would be stuck living here he would be free from the Yeerk in his head. Would I one day get that with my mother? I could only hope.

A few more hours passed and the slug crawled out of Tom's head. It fell to the ground shriveled, dead. "Yes!" Cassie demorphed from her Hork Bajir morph so Jake could kiss Cassie hard. I guess I would be the one to let Tom go.

I undid the ropes and let Tom up. "Thanks. I think I remember you. Lok Laraa?" I nodded. I had no idea if that was who I had acquired or not. "Thank you again. And thank you Jake, Cassie, if you two could stop kissing I would like to hug him." They finally pulled apart.

"Yeah, sure Tom." Jake couldn't hide the tears as he hugged his brother.

As great as it was watching Tom be freed we still had a problem. The Chee Tom would have to die in a way the Yeerk see it. He couldn't order people killed which the Controller Tom would do. We were in luck. The Sharing was having an awards ceremony. Before it though would be rehearsals. We would attack it and I would kill Tom. Or at least it would look like it.

Tom was a fountain of information. He knew plans about the Earth invasion even the Chee didn't know about. He told us, wrote stuff down, and even gave us layouts of the inner sanctum of the Sharing headquarters. "I'm surprised Mr. Chapman didn't give you all of this."

"He's been busy being free."

(Yes. The act of being free has made him less than cooperative.) Ax being the go to Andalite staid around the colony a lot more than he probably liked. But we must keep up the appearance of us working with the Andalite's.

So far we had revealed Cassie and Rachel. Tobias and I were around but never revealed.

It was tough juggling school with Animorph business but now I was trying to date Melissa as best I could. That Friday I would be taking her to the movies. At least that was the plan. "Marco the rehearsals are on Friday. We must attack then."

"But dude Melissa might get mad if I break the date with her."

"Seriously Marco get over it." I knew Jake was getting angry but how could he not understand? "We do this on Friday no matter what other plans you had."

"Fine, what ever." I needed a really, really, good excuse. Wait a minute, I knew her parents.

When Friday came I got a phone call from Melissa. "I'm sorry Marco I can't go."

"What, why not?"

"I'm grounded. Sorry."

"Hey no problem. Just let me know when you aren't grounded any more."

"As soon as I am I'll let you know." We hung up.

"Crafty Marco, crafty." Now I was ready for tonight's mision.

**9**

The Chee playing Tom lead us in. We were flies resting on his android body. All the Yeerk security in the world meant squat compared to the Chee. "You're in. I'm almost to the restroom. I'll let you know when it is safe to demorph." So we sat and waited.

When it was safe we demorphed in the different stalls. "Well this is a bit uncomfortable." I had chosen the handicapped stall thinking there would be more room but Ax was also in it and he left no room.

"Ok every one battle morphs. The Chee said they would keep as many people out of there as possible. And remember Marco," I had to cut him off. He'd been drilling it in to us for days now.

"I know the weapons are kept in a closet behind a fake wall on the second floor right past the bathrooms. I'll head there and grab a Dracon Beam before going to the ceremony hall. In fact I'll head out right now as there are no security cameras in the inner sanctum of the building." I was already sprouting blades as I moved for the door.

"Just Tom. Sharon and Michael will be another time." I was too much Hork Bajir to respond verbally but hadn't morphed enough to use thought speak.

Normally I would be nervous. We were in the heart of the beast. But the Chee assured us there would be a light crew working on the rehearsals for the next night's ceremony. This should be easy. Just find the stairs and go up to the second floor and grab the weapons.

One problem. Hork Bajir can't exactly blend in. And I guess we weren't allowed in the hallway. "What are you doing here? What if a human sees you? We don't need any Hork Bajir tonight!" I didn't even try talking. Hork Bajir could talk in simple terms but I didn't feel like it. I slammed them against the wall knocking them out and kept going.

Once I found the stairs and took them up the only hard part was finding the right room. It was a fake wall in a storage closet next to the bathrooms. Unfortunately I had gone past two storage closets near a bathroom and tore out the walls finding nothing.

Third time was the charm. But I made too much noise ripping the wall out and two Controllers found me. "What are you doing in here?"

"Andalite!"

"It must be."

(Correct.) I pointed the Dracon Beam at them. (Turn around.)

"Just kill us already Andalite."

(I will.) I set it to stun and fired.

I ran through the halls as fast as I could. I could hear Jake's roar. But then I heard another roar. It must be David! I had the Dracon Beam. I could miss or I could hit.

I slammed through heavy wooden doors and saw the chaos. My friends were scaring away the Controller's. All except one. "Stop! I demand you leave this place now!" He couldn't say kill, or die, as it might be conceived as an order of violence. I lifted the Dracon Beam.

(Tom, up here.) He looked at me and nodded his head. The Chee was ready to fake his death.

I was pulling the trigger when David roared. It threw off my aim and I hit well above Tom. I aimed again and fired aiming just few feet in front of him. His hologram would make it look like a direct hit that vaporized him.

(Ok get out! Every one get out! Forget David.)

(You can forget David I won't.) Rachel, in her Grizzly Bear morph, went after David.

(Rachel no! We must leave before reinforcements come!) She stopped mid charge and turned around.

(Fine. But he deserves it.) Yes, yes he did.

I could shoot him from where I was. It would be too easy. Jake would yell at me. Cassie might hate me for it even after what David did. I raised the Dracon Beam and fired.

David must have been watching me and dodged the shot. I aimed again when I saw several Controllers come out of another room with Dracon Beams. The only one near them was David. He never stood a chance.

I dropped the Dracon Beam and ran. We were meeting in a bathroom where a Chee would cover us so we could demorph, morph flies again, and get out. Should I tell them what I saw? Did I really see it? Yes, yes I did.

No one was in the hallways. They were going to the ceremony room to deal with the Andalite bandits. They had even killed one of them. But Tom had been killed as far as they knew. Tom, Jake's brother, could never go home.

I made it to the bathroom and saw the Chee and my friends. (Guys, David, he didn't make it.)

(What? Marco, you didn't, did you?)

(No Cassie. The Controllers came out with Dracon Beams and fried him.) I started demorphing so I could join the others as flies.

We met back at the Hork Bajir Colony. The whole time they questioned me. I don't think they believed me about how he died. (Marco, did you do it?) I knew Rachel was talking directly to me.

(No. I wanted to. I really did. But they beat me to it.)

(I wanted him. I could have done it. But we did need to retreat.)

(It was a good thing he called it when he did. They came out less than a minute later with Dracon Beams. Jake's a good leader.)

(He knows his soldiers.) She went silent after that.

That Sunday we all appeared at Tom's funeral. There was no body. The Sharing headquarters had a fire and Tom, being a hero, had gone in and saved several people but couldn't get out.

Jake had to play the grieving brother. I played the supportive friend. I would have been depressed I guess if it had been real but I knew Tom was alive and well so it was really boring. "Uh, what's going on?" I looked up and saw Tobias in human form.

"A funeral. What are you doing here?"

"I was flying over my meadow when I blinked and was here."

"You know what that means." Rachel was by his side holding his hand. I guess she had to while he actually had a hand.

(_Hello Animorphs.)_

"Ellimist."

(_Don't sound so rude Rachel. I'm here offering you all a gift.)_

"A gift?"

"He must want some thing."

(Yes. The Ellimist would never give us some thing.) Ax had suddenly appeared. I looked around and saw that every one was frozen.

(_Crayak overstepped himself when he gave David the power to morph outside of two hours. In return I can give one of you the same power.)_

"Only one of us?"

(_Yes Jake. Only one. I'm sure you must vote on it.)_

"Not really. I think it is obvious who should get it." I saw Jake's gaze and followed it to Tobias. The one person who had been trapped by the two hour limit.

"Yes, Tobias should have it." Cassie was holding Jake's hand. She sounded nervous. Did she doubt her vote? I didn't know if I thought Tobias should have it. He messed up and got trapped but if you ask me he did it on purpose.

"Yes, Tobias." Of course Rachel voted that way.

"Well it doesn't really matter what I vote so sure Tobias."

(I feel the same.)

(_Then it is unanimous. Congratulations Tobias. From now on you can stay in morph indefinitely. Use your gift wisely.)_ Tobias and Ax disappeared. Time resumed.

After the funeral we met up in the woods. "Well Tobias how does it feel?"

(I feel the same. But thank you every one for giving me the power.)

"You deserved it Tobias." Even if he got trapped on purpose I guess he did. "So now what? Where do we meet now that the barn is gone?"

"We're rebuilding with the insurance money." Cassie was still upset about it. I was too. It was our base and now it was gone.

"Hork Bajir Colony?"

"No Marco. They still don't know about you or Tobias and I want it staying that way."

"Then the woods. Just say hey, meeting, and look for the Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Red Tail Hawk, and Harrier." It was weird not meeting at the barn and until it was rebuilt and it would remain weird meeting anywhere but there.

**A/N Well that was a long one. Over 12k words! And a long, lengthy story it is. Start with kidnapping Controllers and end with David blasted by Dracon Beams, Tom faking his death after being freed, and Tobias being freed of the two hour limit. I hope you enjoyed it and review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Animorphs 31 The New (Jake)**

**Author James the Lesser**

**I do not own the characters, Applegate and her many Ghost Writers do! ****But I do hope any who read this will enjoy, even if I change things up!**

**1**

My name is Jake. I can't tell you my last name. If you've been reading what I wrote you know why.

The Yeerks are every where. They had my brother at one time. I kept fighting hoping one day I could free him. That day came several weeks ago. "So now what? I'm getting tired of Ten Penny." I pick up the cards and put them away.

"I don't know. We haven't been given any missions recently. The Andalites have been doing it all themselves." He still didn't know. I hated lying but I wasn't sure how safe it was telling him.

He was my brother. He hated the Yeerks. But he wasn't one of us. And what if the Hork Bajir Colony was found? Well, except for Tobias and Marco, Tom and the others we freed know every thing else. Maybe it was time he knew more. "Tom you've told us a lot."

"As much as I know brother. Any thing that helps you hurt the Yeerks."

"I know." His inner knowledge of the Sharing helped us grab the President of it and the Head of Media. The Chee who replaced them hacked the bank accounts and funneled millions to an off shore bank account then bought plane tickets. As far as any one knew they were evil corrupt people who stole from the Sharing and fled. The Yeerks weren't sure what had happened from what the Chee could find out.

The Chee are our closest allies. They are a race of androids made by the Pemalites. The Pemalites were wiped out by the Howlers. I helped destroy the Howlers. Since then the Chee have given us all the help they could give.

"I better leave soon. The house is almost ready for moving back in. Mom and dad have been repacking things and I should get my stuff packed."

"Are you moving in to my room? It was bigger than yours."

"I wasn't planning on it. It is still your room in my eyes. Even if every one else thinks you're dead." It was hard some times thinking of it. My parents were still a mess and had gotten a little over protective. If it weren't for the Chee who would take my place I'd be stuck at the hotel all the time.

"Well you have my permission. You freed me it is the least I can give you back."

"Thanks."

"But I could give more." What?

"Uh, what more?"

"I wanna join you. I want to morph and fight and kill Yeerks. I want revenge. I want Visser Three cowering in fear as I stand over him as a lion or bear or what ever and rip his head off." He pounded his fist on the table. "If you have any pull with the Andalite prince or what ever you call the leader get me in."

"I, I don't really. I'm just a human after all." He laughed. It was strange hearing him laugh. He didn't do it when he was a Controller.

"Yes, the Andalite arrogance. Yeerks have a lot of arrogance too. Mix that with an Andalite and you can't get any more arrogant then Visser Three."

"Well, it can't hurt if I ask. We could use the help. But no lion."

"Why not?"

"Uh, I'll ask if I can tell you." I was still in my morphing outfit and it was getting dark out. The spring had been getting warmer as it turned in to summer but it still got cold at night. "I'll see you tomorrow." I focus on my Peregrine Falcon morph.

At school I told the others we had a meeting. I wasn't sure how they would react. No, that's a lie. I knew exactly how they would react.

Rachel would be for it. Marco would debate the pros and cons and decide adding some one we knew and could trust would be a plus. Cassie would be against it. Tobias would side with Rachel. And Ax would call me Prince Jake and vote the way I wanted. Tom would be a new member of the Animorphs.

Cassie's barn had been mostly rebuilt after the fire. But they had no animals yet. Cassie still had nightmares about it. The sound of her horse screaming as the fire raged. The other animals screeching, howling, barking, it was enough even I had a few nightmares and I got there near the end. "My brother hates the Yeerks. He wants revenge. He wants the power to morph."

"Really? Jake is that such a good idea?" Cassie grabbed my hand and squeezed. I knew she would object.

"Yes. We know we can trust him. He hates the Yeerks. He wants revenge and will help us." Marco raised his hand.

"And unlike David he won't betray us for the Blue Cube so he can make little Animorph thieves. I'm for it. But no lions."

(We will need him keeping silent on who we really are. He still thinks we work for the Andalite fleet and stuff.)

"But you're for it?"

(Yes Jake. We need the help and this time we know the person.) So I had Marco and Tobias. I looked at Rachel.

"Well?"

"Another member of my family getting involved."

"Tom's already involved with out us doing any thing." Would she really vote no? And here I counted her as the first one who would vote yes.

"True. And we can trust him. Let's do it."

(He is your brother Prince Jake. My older brother tried protecting me and did what he thought was best. You are the younger brother but you are in the same situation. If you think it is best he be let in then he will join us Prince Jake.)

So that made it every one but Cassie. Just as I knew it would be. I wasn't always the best leader but I knew my friends.

But this also meant we would need to expose every thing. No Andalite fleet just us teens fighting the mighty Yeerk Empire. Would he follow my lead? Or would he try and take over? Maybe I should have voted no.

**2**

We waited until Saturday before taking Tom outside of the Hork Bajir Colony making sure no one else would see what we were doing. I had Marco demorph first. "Hey Tom."

"Of course you're one of them. I guess they told you about your mother?" Marco shook his head.

"We found that out the first time we were on the Pool Ship."

"Really? I figured the Andalite fleet would have used that to get you in on this." Now was time for the truth.

"There is no fleet. We're it. Ax and Visser Three are the only Andalite's on Earth."

"What? So you mean all those attacks have been you?" I nodded. "Wow. So you, Marco, Rachel, Cassie, and one Andalite have done it all?"

(And me.) Tom looks up seeing Tobias.

"Who are you?"

(Tobias. I was trapped on our first mission to the Yeerk Pool. But I later gained my powers back.)

"And you stay as a bird?"

(Red Tail Hawk. And yes.)

"What about, wait, Tobias? Not the same one who is the son of Elfangor are you?"

(Yes. I didn't know until it was revealed a couple months ago.)

"If Visser Three hadn't been so arrogant and made you a Controller right then and there this war would have been over. And I would still be a Controller."

"Yes but you aren't. And if you still want to join us we have the Blue Box." A Chee drops his hologram and reveals the Blue Box in his hand.

"Of course I do Jake. If I only get one thing done that hurts the Yeerks I hope it is me ripping Visser Three's throat out." He makes a motion across his throat with his hand. "And I'm guessing you've been hiding more from me." He looks at the Chee.

"Yeah, we have some allies." He would be one of us. He should know every thing.

"Man I thought maybe more ceremony this time. Banners, balloons, and maybe a cake." Marco was nervous, so was I. The last time we added a new member it didn't go well. But this was my brother I knew this was the right thing to do.

"Just do it. The Gardens closes soon and it will be hard running around getting him morphs."

"Why not just go as birds?"

"Because Tom has no bird morphs. Or will we carry him Marco?"

"If he gets a fly morph he can latch on to one of us." Marco smacks one. "Hey, still alive. Here Tom." He drops it in Tom's hand.

"How do I do it?"

"Just focus on the fly. Imagine becoming the fly." Cassie was the only one who voted against Tom becoming a member but now that he was she was helping. Like I knew she would. I liked her, a lot, and felt bad for knowing exactly what she would do. Was it manipulation?

I watched my brother close his eyes and soon he started morphing. You could hear the bones grind. It was always gross watching some one morph but the sounds were worse.

"Aaaa!" Tom's eyes opened when they started becoming more like a fly's than human's. His panic made him stop morphing.

"Keep focusing. Calm down and focus. You can become the fly." Cassie patted what remained of his left hand. "Just focus and become it." Tom continues changing until he was a fly.

(Whoa, whoa! I can fly!)

"We can hear you."

(What was that?) He didn't know how to _hear_ as a fly.

"Tobias talk to him."

(Tom calm down we can all hear your thoughts.)

(All of them?)

(The ones you project as thought speak. Focus and you can send it out to only those you want. Jake and the others will morph birds soon.) I was already becoming my Peregrine Flacon when Tobias flew down so my brother could land on him.

The Gardens was just closing when we landed on the roof the the aviary house. (Ok every one demorph.)

(Wait!)

(What Cassie?)

(Uh, Tom can't morph clothes yet. Rachel and I will scout the park while he demorphs and morphs back to fly. Get him a bird morph first while we look for a good battle animal.) She was right. That would have been embarrassing.

(Ok you two find a battle morph for him while we get a bird morph.) Cassie and Rachel took off while we all demorphed.

Inside of the aviary house Tom was wearing the tatters of what he tried morphing. "Sorry I can't be as awesome as you two." Marco and I looked around with him while Tobias staid outside watching for security.

In one section was a Broad Shouldered Hawk. "What do you think?"

"Not too big. Bet it is faster then Rachel's Bald Eagle but still big enough it could do some damage." He touches the glass. "So how do I get back there?"

"Open Sesame." Marco pulled a door open setting an alarm off. "Uh, hurry?" We run through the door hoping we could acquire it and get out before security showed up.

We got lucky. By the time security showed up we were just some flies going up to the roof. (Tobias did they come back yet?)

(Yes. Tom what do you think? A Water Buffalo, a Hippo, or a twenty one foot crocodile?)

(What about some thing awesome? Seriously I am not morphing a cow.)

(Hey don't diss the Water Buffalo. They hunt and kill lions for fun.)

(What?) My thoughts and words were shared by the others.

(Saw it on Nat Geo. A heard of Water Buffalo attacked a pride of lions for no reason. Since lions have a history of attacking the weak, old or really young, Water Buffalo have learned to attack lions when they have numbers.)

(Still not morphing a cow. And a Hippo? Really?)

(The Hippo kills more people every year than lions and crocodiles combined.) That's Cassie for you.

(Well, I don't know. I was thinking a lion.)

(No!) We all shouted it at the same time.

(What, why?)

(David.) Even in thought speak you could hear the disgust Rachel said his name with.

(Ok so why not like a Polar Bear?)

(We already have a Grizzly Bear. We like different morphs in case a situation comes up where one or two morphs aren't right.) But what would be a good morph? (I don't know what would be a good morph for you.)

(Hey Cassie, what is this re-living the past?)

(That's just a new exhibit Rachel. They found some old Wooly Mammoth and Saber Tooth Tigers frozen and have been touring with them. Or was it a Mastodon and Cave Lion? Some thing like that. It is really cool cause they look like they should still be alive just standing really still.)

(So they have two animals not seen alive for thousands of years here? Could we get DNA off of them? Ax, is it possible?)

(It depends on how well they were preserved and maintained Prince Jake.)

(Don't call me Prince.)

(Yes Prince Jake.)

(We gotta do it!)

(I'll take a Saber Tooth Tiger.)

(We'll see what they have and if it is possible.) I flew until I saw what I thought was Tobias and landed. (Every one who is a fly land on Tobias.) This was cool. Could we really morph some thing that had died so long ago? (Ax, any ideas the chances of this working?)

(It is possible but remotely unlikely Prince Jake. Studies have been done and research shows you can obtain DNA off of some thing that is dead but it must be very recently dead or well preserved.)

(Are you sure Ax-Man? You weren't distracted in class were you?)

(No Marco. She wasn't in my, I, there was no reason I would be distracted in that class.)

(Is it dangerous? Could we be hurt?)

(No. If you can't absorb the DNA then nothing happens. The research wasn't very important so funding was cut for other more important studies. It was only covered for a few classes.)

(But it is possible.)

(Yes.)

(Awesome! I want both!)

(I want both too! Xena can't be the only one rocking the past.)

(I bet she'd look better in a fur bikini.)

(Tobias!)

(Guys focus. We don't even know if this will work. Cassie any idea on size and stuff?)

(Uh, there were several different members of the Smilodon family. They weren't actually part of the tiger family but uh, some thing else. Biggest were about seven hundred to one thousand pounds and like four feet tall at the shoulder.)

(So bigger then a tiger?) I directed this at Cassie only.

(Depends on the species. Your tiger was kept in captivity so it got a bit bigger than a wild tiger and this could be a female, or a juvenile. We won't know until we're in.)

(Does it have a mane?)

(No. And the bite of a Smilodon is thought too be about a third of a lion based on the shape of the jaws.) Then I could take him. Why would I even think that? Tom is my brother and he hates the Yeerks. I can't let paranoia throw me.

(I would say ladies first but I think Tom should have first go. He needs a battle morph and until he can morph clothes the weaker sex should stay back.)

(Weaker? Marco, I'll morph elephant and you morph gorilla and we'll see who is weaker.)

(I meant it in the nicest way of course.)

When Tobias landed in front of the doors. (I think you can get in through the keyhole.)

(I'll go first. Guide me please.)

Tobias got me to the door and I found the keyhole. (I think I can make it.) It was strange seeing the inside of a lock. A couple rods that made the shape for the key that went in. But is was largely a clear path. (I'm in.)

We demorphed, Marco donating his shirt to Tom so he could wrap the shirt around his waist, and found the exhibits. "Wow. Ax are you sure?"

(Yes Prince Jake. If there is not enough for absorbing you will simply not absorb.)

"Well Tom what do you think?"

"I'll try it." He stepped over the velvet rope that visitors would normally be kept behind. "Just like with the fly?"

"Yes." If this worked it would be the coolest morph any of us had done. I mean sure we once got dinosaur morphs but that was a Sario Rip and didn't count.

Tom places his hand on the nose of the Smilodon. It looked so alive. I half expected it too bite him. "Try it." Tom stepped away.

It was silent. I could hear my heart beat. Tom stood there for a few seconds. Did it fail? "Tom are," He shrunk and fell on to all fours.

His mouth had two giant teeth shoot out. "Ih wahk!"

"Keep focusing Tom you stopped mid morph." A few seconds later he continued.

"Amazing." Marco started walking towards the Smilodon when Tom growled.

"Tom control your morph." He looked at me and growled again. "Ax can you knock him out if he attacks?"

(Yes Prince Jake.) I saw his tail twitch.

"Tom control the morph." He took several steps towards me still growling. "Tom!" He flinched.

(Ok, I got it. I got it. Yeah, I got this. He's scared and confused.) He laid down on the floor. (But I'm not. I'm in control. Man I can hear stuff. And smell, and see, and feel. Really I can feel Marco behind me.)

"Then I guess we all grab it and the Mammoth." Marco and I walked over to the Smilodon and acquired it.

After we got the Mammoth we called for the girls and Tobias. Tom staid in morph as they came in. "Whoa! Do you have any idea what we could do with this? Once this is all over? Scientists could study a long extinct creature first hand. And maybe draw some blood? Or get what is needed for cloning and make new ones!"

(Your cloning techniques are primitive.)

"But it works. Some times. Dolly is still alive." Cassie touched the Smilodon and absorbed it.

We had both morphs and after some musical morphs had every one as birds flying back to the Hork Bajir Colony.

**3**

After another week we got him a few of the morphs we all had. Cockroach, goose, freshwater fish, dolphin, and wolf. But now what? We never really went this long with out attacking the Yeerks. But what would we do? The Chee told us the Kandrona was under heavy guard on a different ship that was not only shielded but would fry any thing that got too close.

And a blind attack on the Sharing HQ was pointless. Funding and membership had dropped after the news about the President and head of Media funneled money and fled overseas.

So now what? We had a new member who wanted revenge but we had nothing for him. I thought about maybe another kidnapping but who would it be? And we would need the Chee, a cover story, and would risk being killed. If we attacked it would need a good reason for it.

And then one day the Chee who played me when I would be gone for a long time or seeing Tom made me wish I had kept my big mouth shut.

I was in my room when he knocked. At first I thought it was my mom or dad then realized both were at work. "Uh, who is it?"

"Your friendly neighborhood space android."

"Come in." He opened the door and looked just like me. Really weird because unlike a reflection in a mirror he could move differently from me. "What is it?"

"We just got a message on the Pool Ship from the Yeerk Main Fleet." That did not sound good.

"And?"

"The Council of Thirteen is coming here for a trial."

"Whose trial?" Stupid question. It was obvious who would be put on trial. Any one below Visser Three would just be executed by him.

"Visser Three's of course. He has botched this invasion after it was pretty much gift wrapped for him by Visser One. Countless deaths of valuable Hork Bajir controller's, Kandrona losses, and not dealing with the Andalite Bandits. Incompetence is not treated lightly in the Yeerk fleet and Visser One is pushing for putting herself back in charge."

"Whoa, wait, Marco's mom is coming here?"

"Yes. And the trial will be held on the Pool Ship." Crap.

"That doesn't do us much good unless we can steal a space shuttle from NASA."

"Or a Bug Fighter. We have several pilots who could escort you there and back."

"But we would be on the Pool Ship. The last time we were on there we did little more then flee. It is even more dangerous then the Yeerk Pool. We'll talk about it. When does the trial start?"

"The Council should be here in about two weeks. Z Space is never consistent. If you decide you will go after them let us know."

"We will." He disappeared behind his hologram but I could hear his footsteps as he left.

It would be dangerous. It would be more than dangerous. As Marco would say it would be suicide. But if we could get to the ship and to the Council... Well, how big a deal were they? I'd heard Ax mention them before but wasn't really sure what they were. Were they like the Andalite Princes? Or even higher? I'd ask Ax as soon as I found him.

I flew out to his Scoop and found him watching television with Tobias. (Hey guys.)

(Jake.) Tobias didn't turn away from the screen. I looked and saw it was Jerry Springer.

(So this is what you do during the day?)

(Hey this stuff if funnier then any sitcom.)

(I am fascinated by the way some humans act. This Steve person is a body guard but is on the show not guarding.)

(Tobias you shouldn't let Ax watch that crap.)

(His television he chooses what we watch.) Tobias flies up and lands near me. (So why did you come out here?)

(I needed some information on the Yeerks. About the Council of Thirteen.) Ax turned the mute on.

(Yes? What is it you need too know?)

(What are they? Are they the leaders of the military?)

(No. Yes, sort of. The Council is like your congress and your president combined. The thirteen members are equal in power except for one who is what I guess you would call supreme ruler. Few know who he is, even some of the council don't know for sure who the supreme ruler is for fear of assassination.)

(So if we killed them it would hurt the Yeerks bad?)

(Yes but I don't see how any one could. They are part of the main Yeerk fleet that even though technologically weak the numbers they posses keep the mighty Andalite fleet from attacking it.)

(What if they came here? For a trial?)

(If they did that...) He put it together. (Visser Three is being put to trial? If he is found guilty and executed we would have a new Visser in control of the invasion.)

(Visser One. At least that's what I put together from what the Chee told me.)

(The Chee are sure of this? The entire council is coming? For the trial of Visser Three?)

(Yes. From what I understand they will be here soon. The trial is on the Pool Ship which means we would need a Bug Fighter. The Chee said they can fly one for us and get us on the Pool Ship. But we would be on the Pool Ship.)

(Which as Marco would say is suicide. That first time was bad enough and if the Council of Thirteen is there then security will be even higher. Jake we might be passing this one up.)

(Tobias I know it is dangerous. Trust me I've been debating it the entire way here but can we pass it up? Could you imagine if during WWII Washington D.C. Had been bombed and wiped out our government? A whole lot more people would be speaking German.)'

(Actually Prince Jake from reading your history books it appears that once the NAZI forces attacked the nation now known as Russia the war was over. Yes the other nations distracted and helped but the Russian forces would have won eventually.) Once again letting Ax have all those books and cable channels gave him more knowledge we didn't need.

(History Channel?)

(Yes.) That was better than Jerry Springer.

(Jake's right. If we take out this council we could cripple the Yeerks. I'll speak for Rachel and say let's do it!) I was still uneasy about this. It could be the most dangerous mission ever. No chance for a simple escape. No way off but by Bug Fighter and I'm sure the Pool Ship could shoot us out of the sky.

**4**

We met at Cassie's barn which was mostly rebuilt. Tom was in his hawk morph. He loved flying saying the freedom of it after being trapped in his own mind for years was the greatest feeling. "So the Council of Thirteen is coming. They are like our government but more important. If say, some one crashed a plane in to the capitol and wiped out the congress we could just vote new ones in. But Ax says that the Yeerks could have a civil war fighting for who should be on the Council."

(Correct Prince Jake. The top Visser and Sub Visser Yeerks would fight for control.)

"Top Visser? My mom is Visser One. You're saying she would fight for a spot on the council? If that happens and she gets the spot would she stay Visser One?"

(No. She would be a Council member. She could give commands to any Visser once it is voted on by the Council.)

"So she would be Visser Three's boss. And she could make sure he doesn't go for open war."

(Unless he too made it on the Council. It could be an all out war between the Visser fleet's. Visser Two would also make an attempt as would others.)

"The civil war could be a huge distraction for the Yeerks. The Andalite fleet could pick them off as the Yeerks took each other out. It could slow them down here enough that when the Andalite's show up the Yeerks will be too weak for fighting back."

(This trial will be a major moment for the Yeerk forces. Visser Three is the only Andalite host. If he is found guilty and given death he may try and fight back right then and there. They would try saving the host as it is a valuable one but the Yeerk itself would be disposed of.)

"So he must have really messed up this invasion if they're doing this." Rachel pounded a fist on the wall. "We gotta do this. We could destroy them with out fighting any more."

"Whoa Xena you don't want more fighting?"

"Shut it Marco."

"Rache's right. I, we could stop fighting. But we could die before we even find the Council." Cassie grabbed my hand and leaned against me. "The Chee can only do so much for us."

"We have time for planning things out." I looks up and see Tom walking across the rafters. "Tom, demorph and remorph we should talk."

(Ok. I think I got the hang of clothes now.) He landed in a stall out of view. "Yep!" He stepped out wearing much the same as I would be after demorphing. "And I gotta say I'm all for this. We take out the Council we destroy the Yeerk Hierarchy."

"Yeah, well, every one we are doing this. Normally I would ask for a vote but this is too important. This could change the war in our favor. Another win that would be more than any other win."

I morphed in to my Peregrine Falcon morph and took off over the woods with Tom. (So little bro what is it?)

(Tom you've never been in a fight. I don't think you should come. This will be our most dangerous mission ever. I can't let things go wrong because you aren't experienced.)

(Who says I am? I've been practicing all of my morphs and picked up a couple more. I don't know what good a raccoon or bee would be but I got them.)

(I'm not just talking about morphing. In a fight when you have lasers and Hork Bajir running around will you be able too keep a cool mind? Or will you panic? Don't say you won't because you don't know yet. Will you let anger get the best of you and ignore orders? I know you want Visser Three but this is about the Council. We kill them and then retreat. I don't care if you think you have a shot or time for taking him down we don't. Once we kill the Council we run as fast as we can.)

(I get it. The Council is a bigger target. I can do it little bro.)

(No, Jake, not your little brother. I can't explain how it happened but I am Jake, the leader, of this group. Get it?) He must understand how important it is that my orders are followed. I can't have him go off on his own.

(I get it Prince Jake.)

(Don't call me Prince.)

(Seriously dude I've been on the inside. I've tried killing you guys. I know how serious this is. We fail and the Yeerks win.)

(But we take out the Council and we could spark a civil war. We could win just because all the Visser's are out fighting each other.)

(Yeah, and Visser Three will go for Emperor of the Council. But so will Visser One and Two and all the rest. Having a big ego is part of being a Yeerk.) Even in thought speak I could hear the despair.

(You're free now big brother. And now you'll fight back.) We would need every one we could get. Even if he was inexperienced.

We landed in the Hork Bajir colony and demorphed. "Man that must have been embarrassing."

"What?"

"Not morphing clothes. Rachel is our cousin so no big deal but you and Cassie are dating aren't you?" I couldn't help but blush.

"I, well, we made sure we were hidden or far enough away we couldn't see. Morphing clothes was one of the first things I worked on." His laughter made me feel better. Tom laughing was still an amazing thing. He hadn't laughed for real for so long I'm sure it was even greater for him. "I better get back home. It is almost dinner time."

"Yeah, you do that. The Chee bring amazing food but it isn't the same as Chinese takeout dad brings home."

"Maybe you can ask them for some. I doubt they would mind." I started morphing my main bird morph and took off.

I stopped at Cassie's barn first and saw her stocking shelves. (Hey, Cassie, need any help?)

"No." She sounded mad, why?

(What's wrong?)

"Jake this is too much."

(I said I would help.)

"No this mission. We're going to the Pool Ship again. We got lucky last time. If Visser One hadn't helped us we would have been killed."

(And this time we have the Chee which I think is better. They fly us and use holograms covering us. The Yeerks never know we're there until we strike. And then we're out and on a Bug Ship for home.)

"But so many things can go wrong. And unlike most missions we can't make a simple escape or hide for a few minutes. We'll be on the Pool Ship."

(I know. But the Chee will cover us. Heck we could just morph flies and sit on the Chee and have them walk us in to the room.)

"Then maybe not every one should go if it will be so easy."

(We need every one.)

"Then it is more dangerous then you're telling me." She had me there. How could I comfort her? Or better yet convince her? This could be the biggest turning point of the war. Not just on Earth but the entire galaxy.

(Cassie I don't, I mean, I can't make you go. But I'll need you. We all will.)

"I know Jake, I know."

"Cassie? Jake?"

"Oh, hi Mom." I had been so distracted I hadn't seen or heard her come in.

(Hello. I'm up here.) She looks up and sees me.

"Oh, well, dinner will be ready soon. Jake you're welcome if you want you can join us."

(No, I better get home soon.) I speak directly to Cassie so her mom can't hear. (I'll see you tomorrow. I'll miss you.) She simply nodded and I took off.

I couldn't sleep. I tried but my mind was racing. It was planning and seeing the possibilities. A Yeerk Civil War could end the war here. I was sure Visser Three would take off and fight for a seat on the Council. But Cassie was right it was the most dangerous mission ever. Maybe I shouldn't risk every one. Yes, if we failed and were killed it was over. I should leave some on Earth, including Tom.

If I left Cassie and Tom on Earth then what? Cassie was no leader and Tom was new. I needed a good leader on Earth. Rachel? Too risky. She seemed too get off on the violence. I could see her going nuts and attacking in broad daylight.

Marco? His mission was saving his mother and protecting his father. He was vicious but calculating. He might actually be a good pick. Maybe I should leave him behind and have Cassie show him where the Cube was. He could create more of us just in case they needed it.

Tobias? He would never stay while Rachel went.

Ax... No. Either we all went or no one went.

**5**

It had been a little over a week. Cassie and I were still arguing over it. I had hoped over the weekend we could have hung out but she kept bringing it up. And now as we left school I saw Erik King before any one else did. "I think it's time."

"Huh?" Marco sees where I am looking. "Oh, hey Erik."

"Hey back." He looks around then leans in towards me. "The ship landed about an hour ago. The trial will be held tonight. Every thing it pointing too execution of Visser Three. The Yeerk, not the host."

"They already decided? Then why have a trial?"

"Make it look like they followed what few laws they have. Get some sleep, we'll do the homework, and have a ship ready at ten. Meet us near Ax's scoop." I nodded and Erik walked away.

When we were away from others I told my friends what was going on. "So yeah, sleep, eat, what ever you need for tonight."

"Jake, I, this is too dangerous." I could only shake my head in frustration. It was the same argument and we didn't have time for it.

"This is too important. Sleep, eat, shower, and meet at Ax's scoop a little before ten." I knew Cassie would try arguing some more so I simply turned and walked away.

At home I ate what ever I could microwave and went to bed. One might think as nervous as I was about tonight's mission I wouldn't sleep but maybe some thing inside of me must of known I would need it.

My alarm woke me up and I tried turning it off but my hand was a paw. I had started morphing in my sleep again. It was rare and only happened when I was extremely worried, scared, or thought I was going too make a huge mistake. Was I? No, this would be the greatest win we've ever had. Ever since we helped the Ellimist...

Was that it? Ever since we helped him save a race every thing had gone our way. David? Taken care of with out one of us killing him. Tom? Freed. We took out several Kandrona's and hurt the Yeerks badly with out any of us being hurt badly back. Was the Ellimist doing this? Or were we just getting that lucky?

I had a hard time flying out to Ax's Scoop while thinking about the Ellimist. It would be like him. Not directly interfering in a way we'd notice. If we noticed then Crayak would notice. And if Crayak noticed he might call foul. Having two god like beings use you as pawns was almost as scary as what we were about too do.

The others were all there except Cassie. (Jake I don't see her.) Rachel was above us in her Great Horned Owl morph. (We should go get her.)

(We don't have time. The Chee should be here soon with the Bug Fighter. If she is backing out of this then maybe it is a good thing. If we die then she can continue the fight.)

(Her? If that is your plan then maybe Tobias and I should stay here.)

(Really Rachel you'd miss this? We'd need a leader not a soldier if we leave some one behind it should be me. Cassie knows where the Cube is I could make new warriors.) Just like I was thinking about earlier.

(You're right.)

(What? Jake I was kidding.)

(No you weren't. Marco you are cold and calculating. You could make the life and death decisions I make. Maybe you should stay here.)

(Dude you need me.)

(Yes but if we die we'll need some one here who can continue. Marco, stay here.) Now we would be down two members. (Go to Cassie's and tell her.)

(Tell her what? That I'm the new leader and thanks for not showing up?)

(That her idea of keeping people here was a good one and I should have realized it earlier.) Already I could see the Bug Fighter coming down. (And dude, tell her, um,)

(I know Jake, I know.) This mission was going to Hell. But it was a good idea leaving some one like Marco behind.

(Wow are you guys like this before every mission?) Oh God acting like this around Tom. He must think I'm a horrible leader.

(Every one stop. When the Chee get here we must be ready. Marco, go to Cassie's.)

(On it.) He took off as the Bug Fighter was landing.

We got on and demorphed. "Where are the others?" The Chee was using a Hork Bajir hologram.

"They're staying behind in case we're killed." The Chee simply nodded.

"Ok. Well, I'm a Hork Bajir when around the Yeerks so I won't be talking much once we land on the Pool Ship."

"How will we know where we should go once we're there?" The Pool Ship was massive. We could run around for hours and not find the Council.

"We have a friend waiting on the ship. They will throw up a hologram and lead you to where the Council is. Once there you are on your own until you retreat."

"Thank you." I looked out the window as the ship took off. I could see Cassie's house as we went higher and higher. I should be mad she bailed on us but really I was relieved, happy, she hadn't come. "Please be safe." Soon I could see the coastline, then the state, and then we left the atmosphere.

The Pool Ship hung above the planet like a menacing predator. "I think we should all morph flies and land on the Chee so they can just walk us there. No point with battle morphs just yet."

"Land on me first. I know who it is disguising themselves as a Taxxon. Good luck. These Yeerks threaten peace, the human race, and what remains of our former friends and creators." It was strange hearing what sounded like love from an android. But I'm sure they did love the Pemalites.

(We will need more than good luck for this. Prince Jake if this is our last mission I must tell you it has been an honor fighting by your side.)

"Thanks Ax." We all started morphing flies.

A fly can see every thing around it as long as it is within a few inches. We could only hope the Chee took us the right way.

The longer we were morphed the more nervous I got. How much longer would it be before we attacked? (Jake,)

(Rachel?)

(If this is it, thank you for keeping me alive this long.)

(You kept me alive as much as I've kept you alive.) First Ax and now Rachel. Did every one really think this mission was that doomed?

(Jake,) And now Tom. (You ever heard the saying I'd rather die on my feet then live on my knees?)

(No.)

(Well, it is true.)

(Tobias?) I figured if the others thought we were doomed he would too. (Any last words?)

(Who said they'd be our last? No way they can expect an attack on the Pool Ship. We got this.) Wow, he had more confidence than the rest of us combined.

Unfortunately he was wrong.

**6**

The Chee stopped. (What? Are we there?)

"I can't let you do this."

(Why?)

"We, I, the security on the Pool Ship should be lax. But they have dozens of Hork Bajir in there. All with Dracon Beams."

(We can do it!)

(No, we can't Rachel.)

(Get me close to the Council and I'll take them out!)

"They aren't in there."

(What? They aren't here? We came here for nothing? Then give me a shot at Visser Three!)

(Tom, calm down.) Things were going worse than I thought they could. (Could the Council be elsewhere on the ship?)

"Yes. I am contacting one of our own who can tell me if any areas of the ship have been closed off." So they were split from the rest? Maybe they couldn't risk having the Council near Visser Three.

We only needed a few seconds before the Chee responded. "Two sections have been closed off. We suspect the Council has been split in half. They must be watching via hologram. We can take you to one or the other closed off area."

(Closest to the Bug Figher.)

"Very well."

Maybe having the Council split will split the security three ways with the trial. But if they were as heavily guarded we would abort the mission. I can't get every one killed for this especially if we would only get one or two members of the Council.

When the Chee stopped again I was ready for the news, good or bad. (What does it look like?)

"Bad. Seven Council members. Heavy security. You can't do this and live. It would violate my code if I let you demorph here."

(But we must do this! Come on Jake we go all out elephant and rhino.)

"No Earth animal could get more than a few steps before being cut down."

(No Earth animal? I, hey, I have an idea.) If I pulled this off it would be an even better plan then before. (I have a Howler morph. I can morph it and use the howl crippling the Yeerks. Grab a Dracon beam, blast the Council, howl again, and then we retreat. They never see the Andalite bandits but some new weird Alien.) No one else would be put in danger but me.

"Howler? Those evil vile things? Erik said one of you could morph in to one." An android being afraid? I must stop thinking of the Chee as machines.

(Yes. If I use them for good I turn them against every thing they stood for. If I save a planet from destruction I will be doing the exact opposite of what they were created for.)

"I like that. Go ahead I will use a hologram hiding you until you are ready." This was it. Using Crayak's creation against the Yeerks. I loved the irony of it.

The Howler is shaped like a human. Two arms, two legs, two eyes. But those eyes are bright blue and stick out from the face. They can see the insides of another being so you can see where the heart and other weaknesses are. But the most dangerous weapon of course was what gave the Howler its name.

I stepped out of the hologram and howled. Every Hork Bajir, Gedd, Taxxon, Human, and other Yeerk hosts I didn't recognize was crippled. I'd been on the receiving end of the howl before and I was in Tiger morph. The more advanced the brain the more damage was done by the howl. So having two brains, the Yeerk and the host, must be excruciating.

I grabbed two Dracon Beams off of the Hork Bajir and howled again making sure the rest were crippled.

The Council members were sitting up higher so every one could see them. It made them easier targets for me. I turned both Dracon Beams up to full and fired.

Some thing inside of me went off. I couldn't stop shooting. I cut down every one standing around me. I howled again when I thought I saw a Hork Bajir reach for his Dracon Beam. I heard voices in my head but they were distant. Like a whisper.

I fired a few more times until I realized there was no one left. I must find more! I could kill more. It was so much fun shooting the ones in here I should find more! I was so happy, happier then even a dolphin, and I wanted more!

Wait, movement, I got it! (Prince Jake stop!) Pain! Why was I feeling pain? I'd show this Andalite. No, I couldn't pull the trigger. Why? I looked down and saw both of my hands had been cut off. (Prince Jake you have lost yourself in the morph. Please demorph or I will attack you again.)

The voices were my friends screaming at me too stop. Those whispers were calling out too me so I would stop and I couldn't hear them. (What did I do?) I killed every Yeerk in the room. Hork Bajir, Gedd, Taxxon, and human. (Thank you Ax for stopping me.) If Cassie had been here she would be appalled about what I had done.

"Time to go. Become a fly so I can get you to the Bug Fighter." The Chee kept a calm mind thankfully. I was still reeling from what I had done.

When I was a fly on the Chee Rachel contacted me directly. (I won't tell her what happened.)

(I will.) I had become a monster. The Howler, the mind of a Howler, felt happy when it killed. It didn't know it was wrong. But I knew better. I knew what I had done wasn't playing. (I must.) I would have nightmares about it. I needed some one I could talk with and Cassie was the only one.

When we were on the Bug Fighter we all demorphed. "Jake, man, that was crazy. All we knew was what the Chee dude was telling us. It sounded like a slaughter."

"It was Tom, it was. It was horrible." I was still shaken by it.

"But you did it. Seven members huh? And a bunch of controllers. We hurt them bad. Now we just go home."

"Not so easy. Things have been locked down. We can't get off the ship."

"So we sit and wait. No big deal." Tom sat down next to me.

(Unless they keep us here for days. I could get by on what ever food they have here but Ax needs grass or what ever.) Tobias was cleaning his feathers. (And if we don't get back in a couple of days the others will worry.)

"I can contact other Chee and they'll tell them where we are and why it is taking so long." I wasn't sitting on the Pool Ship risking capture.

"I have an idea. We take three ships. One blasts through and the other two chase it. Tom can you pilot a ship?"

"With help."

"And Ax can too. Tom, Rachel, and I will steal a ship. Ax and Tobias another. While you," I point at the Chee, wow, never learned his name. We just hit the ground running the second we landed. "Steal the one we chase after. We'll shoot but miss."

"That could work."

(Prince Jake If we blast through the doors it will create a vacuum sucking out any others inside the hanger at the time.)

"I know." I would be killing more but I couldn't risk us being captured. A Yeerk in any of our heads dooms the Earth Resistance.

The hanger was almost empty. Most had been called to the room where the Council had been. But there were still some Taxxon and Hork Bajir. "Every one wait. I'll take care of them." And make sure some survived. I killed every one in the room before. None could report what it was that attacked. But I must let some of the ones in the hanger live so they can tell the other Yeerks it wasn't the Andalite bandits.

I wouldn't howl. I didn't need it this time. I just ran from the back of the ship and ripped a Taxxon in half. When the other controller's noticed me I attacked the nearest Hork Bajir while the other Taxxon fed on the injured one.

I got cut but it didn't faze me. I could heal quickly. I ripped the arm off and used it as a bat.

I gave my friends two minutes to get on other ships when I turned and ran. I saw one Bug Fighter power on and hoped it was the one I should be on.

I saw Tom and Rachel, good, I picked the right one. (Go! I distracted them we can get out now!) I staid in morph since I had the hands needed for piloting and the though speak for talking with the others. (Ax blast us a door.)

(Yes Prince Jake.) Inside of the hanger was not the best place for blasting the more powerful Dracon Beams of a Bug Fighter.

"Crap, damage to the right engine from blowback. We can still go but we'll be slow."

(We're a chaser not a runner so it doesn't matter. Chee, you're the runner. Go as fast as you can.) I still hadn't learned his name. I'd ask Erik, maybe, if I remembered.

I worked the Dracon Beams on the Bug Fighter and fired wildly. "Jake you better hope that was a defense satellite and not a television satellite. The USC and UCLA pre season game is on tomorrow."

(Sorry!) I fired again missing the lead Bug Fighter but made sure I didn't hit another satellite.

(Prince Jake several more Bug Fighters from another hanger are being released.)

(Every one we crash in the ocean so be ready for going dolphin.) We had made it through the atmosphere and were nearing the water fast.

I fired several more times and I saw the Bug Fighter go under the water. (Tom can a Bug Fighter go underwater?)

"Yeah but not very deep and it won't go fast."

(Crash the ships but make it so you can still escape.) I started demorphing.

Once we slammed the Bug Fighter in to the water I started morphing in to a dolphin. The happiness took over, I needed it. Swimming in the water for the coast using echolocation was what made a dolphin happy. Not killing, slaughtering, a bunch of people.

We weren't far away when the other Bug Fighters started blasting the water with Dracon Beams. The water started getting warmer as the hot lances of energy seared through and destroyed the Bug Fighters we had fled. (Good job every one.)

(Hey we didn't do any thing little bro.)

(You flew the Bug Fighter and kept calm when crashing it. You did a good job Tom. Once we're at the shore go home every one. Tomorrow is Saturday so you can all sleep in.) We just kept swimming as the water got shallower and shallower.

Once close enough we demorphed and walked on to the beach freezing and soaking wet. "Like I said good job every one." I saw Rachel holding Tobias. His feathers were as wet as our clothes and he couldn't fly. "Tobias you should try morphing and demorphing again."

(I can wait. I'm in no hurry getting back.) He was being held by Rachel so I guess he was right where he wanted too be.

"Ok, well, see you all on Monday." I morphed in to a Peregrine Falcon and took off.

**7**

I should have gone home. But I wanted some one too know I was ok.

Her light was off. Maybe she was sleeping. I landed and found her window open. (Cassie? Are you awake?) She rolled over and saw me.

"Jake, I'm so sorry. The power went out! It's still out." I looked at her clock and it was blank.

(So your alarm didn't go off?)

"Exactly. When Marco flew in and said you guys had already left I was so mad at myself. You needed me there and I wasn't there. I'm so sorry."

(Don't be. I'm glad you didn't come, really.) I hopped on to her desk. (It went well. We made it there, got seven members, and left.) I should tell her what happened. I told myself I would, told Rachel I would. (I used the Howler morph so no one else would be in danger. I did it, myself, and got every one back out.)

"I'm glad every one else is ok. I'm sure they're mad at me they probably think I ditched the mission."

(It's ok they'll understand.) I started demorphing.

As soon as I was human I couldn't stop myself. I started crying. "Jake what's wrong?"

"I did some thing horrible." She hugged me and I hugged her back. I told her what happened in the room. It didn't make me feel better telling her but when she simply held me and said things would be ok I felt a little of the weight on my shoulders lift.

**A/N Well, took me awhile too write out. I hope those of you following will read and review and tell me what parts you like and what parts you don't.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Animorphs 32 The Offer (Rachel)**

**Author James the Lesser**

**I****do****not****own****the****characters,****Applegate****and****her****many****Ghost****Writers****do!****But****I****do****hope****any****who****read****this****will****enjoy,****even****if****I****change****things****up!**

**1**

They call me Rachel. My prey was not a great white whale but a human controller. (Rachel don't get so close.)

(I'm a cat he won't give me a second glance.) I lick my paw acting as much like a cat as I could. (If I can't see the screen I can't see the code.)

(Just don't get noticed.) I couldn't see Jake but I was sure he could see me. I've had the eyes of a raptor and knew just how well they could see.

The Yeerk looked around nervously. He put his hand under a screen. I moved so I could get a better look. (Nine, One, One, Four, One, One, Eight, Three, Six.) A smaller panel opened and he pressed a button.

A screen came up but I couldn't read what was on it because it was in some alien language. (Ax can you see the screen? I can't read it.)

(No.)

(I can.) I saw a small bird land and my first through was yum, lunch. But it was my cousin Tom. (It is identifying him as Esplin 2993. This entrance is useless we don't have Yeerk's in our head.)

(Pull back every one and meet at Cassie's barn.) A waste of time, great. I had homework piling up and instead I was here finding out the entrance to the Yeerk Pool we found was worthless.

We were on our way back when Tobias talked to me. Well, thought speak at me. (Rachel, can we talk after the meeting?)

(Sure.) I had homework but Tobias was, the guy I kinda liked, a lot. And now that he could morph past the two hour limit he spent a lot more time in his human morph.

Weird, thinking of his human self as a morph. But he staid in his hawk morph even now. I didn't know if it worried me or scared me more thinking about it. He'd rather be a bird then a boy.

At Cassie's barn we all demorphed. It was still pretty empty after the fire but Cassie's dad was bringing in what ever injured animals that were found.

"So that's a bust. They've increased security every where. No surprise after what we did." My cousin Jake staid close to Cassie. They were dating and stuff. And like real dates not sharing a mouse in a tree. Not that I'd actually done that. Ew.

(Prince Jake we haven't heard about any repercussions from our last attack. The Chee have been quiet and the Yeerk forces seem unfazed. Maybe we should contact them.)

"No, not yet. We've been leaning on them a lot lately. What if they decide us wiping out the Howlers could only get so many favors? If we come across a situation where we really need them I'd rather they volunteered instead of us, I don't know, can't really threaten them."

"Yeah, you can say that again." My first encounter with a Chee, an adroid race whose creators were wiped out by the Howlers, ended with me in a headlock. Now you might look at me and think I'm in good shape but Mr. King was an adult. But at the time I was a grizzly bear.

"What ever. I think we should pat ourselves on the back and call it a night. We didn't get caught and hey Bird Boy and the Blue Deuce can go looking for more tomorrow."

(How do we know they haven't put up the same security up at all the entrances? Maybe there is no way in.)

"We don't know that. And right now it is the only option we have for attacking. Unless the Chee have information about some thing going on above ground the Yeerk Pool is the only target we have."

(We could try looking for the Kandrona again Prince Jake. I have been flying near your buildings but haven't felt the updrafts that came from the Kandrona.)

(And we haven't seen any cloaked ships either. It must be kept in the Yeerk Pool now. So yeah, I'll look tomorrow, but right now I'm gonna head back to my meadow.)

"And I'm heading home. See you guys at school tomorrow." I walked out of the barn towards the trees.

Once I was out of view I morphed in to a bird and found Tobias. (Hey, what's up?)

(Nothing. Just bored. I was hoping for some thing you know? Yeerk on Yeerk war or some thing. Instead every thing is the same.)

(Yeah. I know what you mean. And the Chee have been quiet.)

(What do we do? This was our best chance at hurting the Yeerks. From the looks of it we didn't do much.)

(Maybe it is like when we first destroyed the Kandrona. We didn't notice until a Yeerk messed up the ship schedule.)

(Yeah, maybe. Rachel maybe tomorrow after school we could go flying. It is getting late now.)

(Or maybe go to the mall. See a movie.)

(I guess.) He hated being a human that much? Even though it meant being with me? This is what I worried about.

(Ok, see you tomorrow.) I turned right and flew for home.

At home I did some homework but couldn't concentrate. Eventually I got fed up and went to bed.

**2**

I saw the eye. I told Jake about it because I thought it was Crayak and he said it was. "Why are you watching me?" I was shocked when he answered.

(You are special Rachel. I want you for my own.)

"What does that mean?" He wanted me for what? Revenge because we wiped out the Howlers?

(No, because you are violent.) He could read minds? (Yes, I can.)

"Well, what do you mean violent?"

(You enjoy the war. You love ripping flesh from bone. Popping a Taxxon open like a goo filled balloon. You love it and would be lost with out it. Admit it Rachel.)

"I don't love it."

(Yes, you do.) My dream changed and I was watching myself in battle. I was a grizzly bear and crushed a Taxxon. I turned and swiped at another ripping it open. (And here Jake calls for the retreat.)

"I remember this." He says retreat but I kept fighting. Two Hork Bajir? Nothing compared to an enraged grizzly bear.

(You weren't enraged you were feeling bloodlust. You could have been killed but you didn't care. You needed more blood on your paws.)

"No I didn't." The scene changed and I'm at home talking with what looks like my twin. In reality she was a Chee who covered for me when we needed.

"So Rachel what is it like?"

"Killing?" She nodded. "Well, it feels, powerful. Knowing that I did it. Knowing that because I killed a Taxxon I was helping Earth."

"Wow. Erik said it was terrible."

"He saved our lives. If he hadn't killed we'd be dead. How long would Earth last with out us?" She shrugged her shoulders. "And what would you do? The Yeerks would kill all the dogs."

"We've already made plans. We'd build or steal as many ships we could and fly as many dogs as possible to another planet. We already sent some scouts out."

"It looks that bad for us huh?" She shook her head.

"No, just in case."

"Well don't worry. I'll kill every single last Yeerk on Earth and then some." Every thing went dark.

(See? You like it. Taking a life makes you feel stronger.)

"I, it was just talk. I only kill the enemy. I don't kill for fun."

(You find it fun. Don't deny it. Why should you? There is nothing wrong with killing.)

"Yes there is!"

(Really? Are you a vegetarian?)

"Well, those are animals."

(Oh so that makes it ok? But you think my Howler's wiping out races was wrong. Why? They were just animals. They weren't human so that makes them animals.)

"No they weren't! The Pemalites were highly advanced."

(So? They weren't human.)

"I didn't say killing any thing that wasn't human was ok."

(No, just animals. Well you are all animals compared with me. So I can kill any one I want by your standards.)

"No, it, killing is," I couldn't defend it. Who was I? A girl who killed. Animals, aliens, and maybe even a human or two. But this was war!

(So killing in war is ok? Well I am at war with the Ellimist. So I guess once again by your standards I can wipe out any race I deem worthless.)

"No, it, it isn't right."

(Because in your mind I'm not the good guy? Only the Clint Eastwood's of your movies can run around killing they feel like because they are the hero? Any one you kill is ok because you are a hero?)

"I, it,"

(You are no hero. You let Tobias get trapped.)

"That wasn't my fault!"

(You could have convinced him. He demorphs before going in and he comes out with a few minutes left.)

"I, I could have. But we were in a hurry and I was scared and just wanted it over with."

(What would you do differently if you had the chance?)

"I, I would have made him demorph."

(What would you give for it?)

"For what?"

(For the chance? A chance at a normal life for him. As normal as one could be fighting the Yeerks. What do you say?)

"I, I'd give any thing."

(That's all I needed too hear. But I'll be nice this time since I want you as my own I'll give you this gift.)

"Gift? What are you talking about?"

(I can send you back to that point in time. You can convince him that he should demorph and then he will never be trapped.)

"You think I'd join you or what ever because of this?"

(It might help you see who the real winner is.)

"Well, I," He must want some thing else. Why was I so special? But a chance of saving Tobias was a chance I couldn't pass up. "I accept."

**3**

We were at the school. We were going to the Yeerk Pool for the first time. Wow, I was so much younger. We all were. And Tobias was in hawk morph. "Cassie's missing and where's Tobias?" I pointed up at the sky. He looked up and saw Tobias.

That's right Cassie had been captured. "She was captured."

"Huh?" The others looked at me like I was crazy.

"Nothing."

"Hey, Tobias, you only have a two hour limit maybe you should demorph."

(I'm ok Jake.) He landed near us.

"No you're not Tobias. Demorph, now." I must make him do it. If I didn't he'd be trapped again. "Please?"

(I said I'm fine.)

"No Tobias. Demorph, please, for me." Now I was getting more stares.

Tobias and I weren't, we weren't, well, you know. That happened later. But I must save him. "It will make all of us feel better if we weren't worried about you getting trapped."

"We have enough worries. Like aliens, lasers, slugs in our brain."

(Fine.) Too think it was that easy.

He demorphed. He was human. Originally it would be months before he could become human again. But this time he would be saved. This time-

I woke up in bed. How did I get here? "Did I do it?" I rolled out of bed and looked towards the window. It was dark. Tobias would be sleeping. But where?

I morphed in to a Great Horned Owl. His house or his meadow? What if he had gotten trapped later? I know Marco always thought Tobias did it on purpose. Some times even I did.

I went to his house first. It took me awhile before I remembered where it was. I had never actually been there but Tobias showed me once when we were flying.

I didn't remember which room he said was his. I looked through all of the windows and didn't see him. He had been trapped again. He had done it on purpose. It was a waste what I had done. Thankfully Crayak hadn't made me give up any thing.

I flew out to his meadow. I landed in his favorite tree. (Tobias!) Wait, I didn't see him. (Tobias?) I flew around his meadow but couldn't find him.

Where was he? Did he choose a different meadow? Or maybe I had missed him at his house. Jake would know where he was. I'd see him tomorrow.

At school I saw Jake and Cassie but not Marco. Was he sick? Didn't matter. I sat next to Jake at lunch. "What are you doing?"

"What? We always sit together." He looked at me like I was crazy. "What?"

"Go away."

"Well, I'll ask Cassie." I sat for a minute or two but Cassie never showed up.

I found her sitting at a different table. "What are you doing over here?"

"What do you mean? I always sit here."

"Not next to Jake?"

"Why would I sit near _him._" That wasn't right.

"You two have a fight?" I laughed a little.

"Rachel what is wrong with you?" Why was she mad at me?

"What did I do?"

"Rachel, just go away."

"Fine, I'll ask Marco." She stood up knocking her chair over.

"What is wrong with you Rachel!" She grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me out of the lunchroom.

In the bathroom she checked making sure the stalls were empty. "What's wrong with you?"

"What? What happened?"

"Rachel you're not making any sense."

"No you're the one not making any. First Jake and now you."

"Why did you say his name?"

"Jake?"

"No, Marco. He died when, when, you know when." Died?

"No, he didn't. Are you guys playing some sort of trick on me?"

"What is wrong with you? Rachel are you crazy?"

"No. I just wanna know where Tobias is. I went to his old meadow but he wasn't there."

"Meadow? Tobias? He's been dead even longer." I felt the color leave from my face.

"Dead?"

"No, this, you're not Rachel." Cassie backed away from me. "You're not Rachel."

"I am I just don't know what happened. One minute I'm well, Crayak, he made me a deal. He made me a deal so I could keep Tobias from being trapped."

"Crayak? Who the hell is that?"

"You never heard of Crayak? The Ellimist didn't tell you about him?"

"Ellimist?" Oh my God. What had I done?

"He, he, we helped him wipe out the Howlers. Us and Erik."

"Who's Erik?"

"The Chee." The look on her face told me she had no idea who or what a Chee was. "What have I done?"

"Meet me at my barn after school." She hurried out of the bathroom.

I opened the window and climbed out. As soon as I was in some bushes I morphed.

I flew, and flew, and flew some more. What had I done? I got Tobias and Marco killed. And for some reason the Ellimist and Crayak never interfered here. And no Chee on our side. What about Ax? Was he not with us either?

It was easy finding it with my bald eagle eyes. His Scoop was almost in the exact same place as before. At least that was the same.

I demorphed then remorphed and flew some more. What else could I do?

I saw a watch, school had ended about twenty minutes earlier. Maybe I could figure some things out if I had every one else there.

I landed at the barn and demorphed. "Guys, I don't know what is going on."

"And neither do we. Ax." I suddenly felt his tail blade against my throat. "Keep it there."

"Jake, what, I'm not a Yeerk or any thing." I felt sweat roll down my neck. It stopped when it got to the blade.

"We don't know what you are."

"Please, I, I can explain. Crayak did this. Crayak tricked me in to changing the past. I messed every thing up." If Ax twitched I'd lose my head. "Let me explain I'll be as fast as I can."

"Go ahead." Ax didn't lower his tail.

I told as much as I could as fast as I could. "And now I have no idea what other changes I made. I have no idea what's happened in this timeline."

"Lower it."

(Yes Prince Jake.) I finally took a deep breath.

"Thank you Ax."

"Well if that's it can you leave? I have work to do." Cassie turned to a cage with a raccoon in it.

"But, um, any missions? And what is wrong with you two? In my timeline you two are dating and stuff." Both glare at each other.

"The man who got Tobias and Marco killed?"

"The pacifist who'd rather let Tobias and Marco die rather then kill some Hork Bajir?"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"If you had just done as I said they'd still be alive!" I couldn't believe how much they hated each other.

"I'm going." I walked out of the barn.

**4**

I had messed every thing up. I couldn't go home it wasn't my home it was the home of a different Rachel and I had no one else I could talk to about it.

Maybe I should just let myself be trapped. Tobias liked being a hawk. And I was a Bald Eagle. I was protected by federal law. I was bigger so I was safer from other birds of prey.

I didn't really know what I should do. I was lost. Cassie and Jake hated each other. And I didn't have Tobias. Who could I talk with?

I was flying near the mall when I saw a familiar person. Well, a familiar android. But he didn't know me in this timeline.

I flew over him following him as he walked home. Maybe I shouldn't tell him. No, maybe he could help me. How? He couldn't send me back in time and change this. But he was some one I could talk with. As soon as I explained every thing to him.

I caught him just before he went in his house. (Erik.) He looked around like he was going to be attacked. (I'm not Visser Three or an Andalite.) I landed in a tree behind him.

"What are you then?"

(I'm an Animorph.)

"A what?"

(Some one who once fought the Yeerks. You knew one of us.)

"Really? Who?"

(Marco.)

"He died, committed suicide."

(He was killed by the Yeerks. I'm not sure when or where. That is one of my problems and I need help. The Chee are my only hope.)

"How do you know about us?"

(You told us. In another timeline. One I didn't mess up and didn't get tricked by Crayak.) I saw the reaction on his face. (In fact you helped us wipe out the Howlers.)

"In your timeline I could commit violence?"

(No. The Ellimist chose the Animorphs, and you, to save a planet. Jake got a morph of a Howler and we found out they had a collective memory. So he morphed a Howler and used a machine giving the Howler's a memory of love thus making them worthless to Crayak.)

"I see. In your timeline. And I can't believe I'm saying this but I believe you."

(Thank you Eric. I don't know where else I can go. Um, I'll demorph now.) I landed and did so.

"Rachel. Jake's cousin, I think I saw you a couple times when I was hanging out with Marco."

"Can I go in? We need to talk, a lot."

"We have food and drinks for just an occasion." I followed him in.

The Chee playing Erik's father was sitting in a chair. "Who is this Erik?"

"A friend of Marco's."

"Oh, I'm sorry for what happened."

"Don't worry I know what you are. And I know there is a giant dog park below this house. I need help but I don't know if you can do any thing."

"I see. Well sit down young lady." I did and told them the same thing I told my friends.

An hour later the two had me go in to another room. I'm sure what ever they were discussing would pretty much seal my fate. But what was I expecting from them? I couldn't stay here. I should have just kept flying. Fly and fly until what? Where do I go? The Yeerk invasion is still going on. Except we haven't done any damage. Oh God the President could be a controller already!

When they called me back in I was more nervous about what damage had been done by the fact we haven't been fighting the Yeerks then what the Chee would tell me. "Look, I'm sorry I came here. There isn't any thing you can do."

"Are you sure the others have quit?"

"Yes. They wouldn't even talk after I told them what happened. I'm so sorry but I realize now there is nothing you can do."

"Maybe. We have the Pemalite Crystal."

"What? How? We nearly died stealing that thing from the Yeerks for you guys in my timeline. We were saved by Erik."

"How did I do that?"

"Marco got you the crystal and you reworked your programming and well, it wasn't a fair fight after that."

"And then what?"

"You uh, gave us the crystal so we could hide it."

"I see. Maybe we should do the same."

"Well, I mean, you were horrified by it. You rewired yourself or what ever so you couldn't do it again. Why you gave us the crystal." How did they get it? "Uh, how did you guys get it? You can't commit violence."

"We can't harm living souls. We can however smash through walls and steal a crystal and smash our way back out."

"In my timeline you were so appalled by the violence you would relive it every moment in your life."

"But in your timeline you were fighting the Yeerk forces. You said we helped you with information and using holograms to hide you and so forth." Mr. King walked over to a wall and it became a safe. "But we lost our friends once before. We lost our planet, our culture, every thing." I saw him take the Pemalite Crystal out.

"We lost them. Our friends." Erik reached out for the crystal. "What little we could save of them we put in wolves and created dogs."

"And now they will be wiped out by the Yeerks unless we stop them."

"No, don't do this." Oh God I was making things even worse. "I can't let you corrupt yourselves like this."

"Our creators could have saved themselves and didn't. We didn't have a choice in saving them. But this time we do."

"No!" I had done some thing Crayak hadn't done. I had corrupted the Chee. I would make them in to monsters. "Please, I've already messed so much up. I can't let you do this."

"We don't want this. But we have no choice. We will do this and we will save every thing on this planet. We won't lose another to an invading force of evil." I had set forth in motion the corruption of the Chee. The perfect, peaceful, Chee.

"I can't do this." I walked to the door and left. I morphed in to a Bald Eagle and took off.

Crayak had tried killing us and the Chee. His plans failed. No, one of his plans worked. He had used me. He used my feelings for Tobias and, and, no, I did it. I could have told him no. I could have been happy with what I had.

Tobias was happy as a hawk, for now. But once the war was over I'm sure he would have become a human and staid a human. Once the war was over we could have been together like normal people. Instead I threw what I had away for a chance at some thing else. Some thing that ended up being far worse.

I'd done what Crayak couldn't do. The Chee, what had I done? They must have thought some one was fighting the Yeerks. We had been, they had been, until... I don't know.

I saw my house. My mom and sisters would be home. Was my mom waiting for me? It was dinner time. Where else should I go? It was all I had. I hadn't messed up there yet I hope.

I landed in my room and started demorphing. "What, Rachel, Andalite!" I froze in midmorph. I turned my half formed head and saw my mom. "Andalite what are you doing in here!" I started remorphing and tried flying for the window.

I couldn't fly yet I didn't have wings. I threw myself through the window and tumbled towards the ground. When I landed I was mostly eagle and started flapping my wings and took off as the last bit of humanity disappeared.

My mom couldn't be a controller! No, it is because of this world. This timeline she became a controller because we weren't fighting. If we were fighting she wouldn't have become a controller. No! NO!

I couldn't do this! I couldn't be the one who got Marco and Tobias killed. The one who got my mom turned in to a controller. The one who turned the Chee in to killing machines. Crayak had tricked me! He said he didn't want any thing in return but he got every thing he wanted. It was all my fault.

I flew as far as I could then demorphed. I was tired, hungry, and felt so lost I didn't know what I should do next.

**5**

I lost track of time. A day became a week. A week became two. I don't know what I should have expected. But what happened sure wasn't it.

I had been flying, living, as an eagle. I slept and some times ate as a human but I spent as much time as an eagle as I could.

I was flying over the city when I saw some thing in the sky. It was massive. (No way!) The Pool Ship was slowly descending on the city. (The Yeerks are attacking now?) What could I do? No morph could harm the Pool Ship.

Near it was the Blade Ship and several dozen Bug Fighters. But they weren't firing. Instead they were landing just outside of the city. What were the Yeerks doing?

I flew closer to the Blade Ship. With my eyes I could see what was going on. Hork Bajir were walking off followed by Chee! I landed in a tree and tried contacting the Chee. (What are you doing?) One looked around. (I'm in a tree. I was fighting the Yeerks but some of my friends were killed and we stopped.)

"The human Erik informed us about."

(Yes. What have you done?)

"We killed the Yeerks. We emptied the Yeerk Pool in to space and freed as many hosts as we could. These Hork Bajir are free Hork Bajir."

(Amazing! Just like that? You won?)

"The rest of the Yeerk Fleet may figure out some thing is wrong and send scouts but we have time before that happens."

(Visser Three? Did he get away?)

"He morphed in to a monstrosity. We tore him apart limb by limb. He and any other Yeerk that resisted was killed."

(So now what?)

"Now we reveal what we can to the humans. We will need a force if we will fight the rest of the Yeerk armies and fleets. The Hork Bajir we freed have agreed they will help but most of the Taxxon turned on us and were killed."

(Wow. Um, you saved us all, thank you.)

"No, don't thank us. We have committed a great crime against our creators. We have saved this planet but what they created can not be saved."

(I'm sorry.) It fell on my shoulders again. That crushing weight knowing I had caused this.

But maybe it was the right thing. I felt bad for the Chee but we won! Earth was saved! And with the Yeerk Pool Ship, Blade Ship, and maybe hundreds of Bug Fighters we could use against the Yeerks. With the Andalite fleet and these ships and the Chee we could wipe out the Yeerks.

I flew over the city looking for my mom. She was infested but maybe her Yeerk would surrender. Maybe she would be freed.

Several entrances to the Yeerk Pool opened and controllers poured out of it. Dracon beams burned through the air. The Yeerks weren't surrendering.

Bug Fighters flew over the city and fired back. I saw a few Bug Fighters get hit and crash but the Yeerks on the ground were dead meat.

A few minutes was all it took. The city was scarred from Dracon beam fire. Dozens of humans, Hork Bajir, and Taxxon lay dead in the streets.

I looked, and looked, and finally found my mom. She was on the ground, Dracon beam in hand, dead. (No!) I started demorphing but found I couldn't. (No, no, I didn't stay in morph too long!) I kept trying but couldn't. In the chaos of what happened I had lost track of time! What could I do?

I took off and flew for the trees. I had messed every thing up. I got Marco and Tobias killed. I corrupted the Chee. My mom was now dead as well. And I was trapped in Eagle morph. What could I do? (Crayak! You bastard you tricked me!) I shouted his name a few more times when time stopped.

(Hello again Rachel.)

(Crayak!) The world melted away and I was in darkness. (You tricked me! You said you wouldn't take any thing in return!)

(I didn't. I simply let things play out.)

(Then why were Tobias and Marco killed?)

(Tobias was never trapped. He never spent all that time flying. When the time came he normally would have escaped but he was not as good a flier and was killed.)

(But, no. He wouldn't have died that easily!)

(And poor Marco. When he saw his mother on the Pool Ship not even Jake could control him. Marco was killed as he tried saving his mother.)

(What can I do? Can I change it?)

(Of course. But this time I will want some thing in return.)

(What? Any thing!)

(Jake. Kill Jake. Kill him and I will send you back to the school and you can make sure Tobias stays in morph.)

(I, I can't kill Jake.)

(Then this world will remain. When you want my offer kill Jake. Kill him and I will give you another chance of changing things.) The world came back and I found myself falling. I tried flapping my wings but realized they were arms again.

I crashed through the trees and landed hard on the ground. "He let me demorph. Just like he did for David." I slowly got up feeling pain all through my body.

I walked through the woods for awhile. I had one decision that could change every thing. If I killed Jake I could save every thing.

But then the Chee would not wipe out the Yeerks and the war would continue. Was my happiness, my life, worth that? But they had been corrupted. They could not be saved. Unless I killed Jake.

The next day I flew in to town and found Jake and his family. Tom was with them. Had the Yeerk in his head surrendered? Or were they all Yeerks who had realized they couldn't win and were planning an escape? I watched them for nearly an hour before demorphing and remorphing.

I had lost them. I flew around but couldn't find them. They had just been there. It only took me a couple minutes.

I flew up to the roof of the nearest building. If they went in any of the buildings which one would it be? All of them together wouldn't be grocery shopping and it would be a strange time for clothes shopping wouldn't it? So which building was left?

The one with a modified Bug Fighter in it. After my mom saw me she must have made some calls. Was Cassie taken as well? Wait, if Jake escaped then I couldn't accept Crayak's offer. Now that I knew he was a host I knew what I must do. Better dead then a host.

The modified Bug Fighter was a little smaller then the other Bug Fighters. But I saw the door was still open. I flew and landed on top of the ship. "Get the door closed we can't leave the atmosphere until it's closed!"

"The door is jammed on some thing. I can't make it move!" Perfect. I had a chance.

I took off and gained some air. Once I had enough I dived for the door. Jake was pulling on it. He was near the edge. I could do it.

I spread my wings and swooped down in to his face. I clawed at him and with my momentum knocked him in to the open door. "Help! Help!" His grip was slipping.

(I'm sorry Jake but I know you'd rather be dead then stuck with a Yeerk in your brain.) I clawed at his hands with my talons.

"No!" He lost his grip and started falling. It was over. We were a few hundred feet above the ground. When Jake hit he'd be killed instantly.

**6**

The world went black again. (I did it Crayak.)

(Yes, yes you did. It felt good didn't it? Taking a life.)

(I was saving Jake.)

(You were saving yourself.) I heard his sarcastic laugh. (But you did it. And so I will give you another chance.)

We were at the school. We were going to the Yeerk Pool for the first time. Wow, I was so much younger. We all were. And Tobias was in hawk morph. "Cassie's missing and where's Tobias?" I pointed up at the sky. He looked up and saw Tobias.

"She was captured." I had just lived through this a month ago. Or was it only a couple weeks? It felt long ago and like it happened yesterday.

"Huh?" The others looked at me like I was crazy.

"Nothing."

"Hey, Tobias, you only have a two hour limit maybe you should demorph."

(I'm ok Jake.) He landed near us.

"Yeah, he's fine. We're just going in and grabbing your brother right? How long could it take us." I saw some one walking towards the school. "And the longer we stand on here the longer Tom remains a controller."

"Ok, we're going in. Once we're in we work fast and-"

I woke up in bed. "What did I do?" I rolled out of bed and went to the window. It was dark. Was it the same night as before? Had no time passed? "I killed Jake. I killed him and now the Yeerks were still out there. I saved the Chee but how many would be killed because of it?

I morphed in to an owl and left my room. Jake was gone. How could we keep fighting? We relied on him in battle. We could maybe make a plan before going in but if things went bad he knew the best way out of it.

I found Tobias and landed one tree away. (Tobias,) He didn't respond. (Tobias!) He looked around. (Tobias, I did some thing horrible.)

(What? Rachel, what time is it?)

(Night, late. I, Tobias, I did some thing terrible.)

(What did you do?)

(I killed Jake.) He stared at me with those intense hawk eyes. (Crayak tricked me in to doing it but I still did it.)

(Crayak? The evil version of Ellimist?)

(Yes! He made me an offer and I took it. He said I wouldn't be trading any thing for it. But he tricked me and the only way I could fix things was if I killed Jake. I wasn't going to but he was infested so I killed him.)

(Jake was taken? When? We should warn the others!) He started taking off from his perch.

(Not in this timeline.)

(Timeline? Now I'm even more confused.)

(I'll explain.) I flew over to him and tried telling him as much as I could.

I demorphed and remorphed and we started flying towards Jake's house. (Are you sure it wasn't a dream?)

(I'm sure Tobias. He made me kill Jake so I could fix every thing.) It was hard for him as the air was cold and there were no thermals. An owl was built for this kind of flying but Tobias wasn't. (As soon as Jake died I was back in front of the school. We were waiting for you and Cassie and when she never showed up we went in.)

(I remember. She had been taken by the controller cop. Was Jake there?)

(Of course he was there.)

(But you had killed him.)

(Well, not until later.)

(In that other timeline.)

(Yes.) I felt bad enough as it was why did he bring it up again?

(But not in ours. I don't think Jake is dead.)

(But he made me kill him so I could go back and make sure you got trapped.)

(And when I was trapped that other timeline didn't happen right? So Jake was never made a controller and you never killed him.) Could Tobias be right? Oh please be right.

We landed outside of Jake's house and looked through his window. (He's in there. I can't see if he is breathing.)

(Jake!) He didn't move. (Jake! Please don't be dead!) I flew up to the window and smacked in to it. (Jake!)

"Huh?" I saw him roll over and look at the window. "Cassie?"

(No, Rachel. Jake, you're alive?)

"Yeah, what, what time is it?"

(Late. Jake if you're alive then I didn't kill you!) Tobias was right. Thank you, thank you who ever made this possible. (Jake you're alright.)

"Yeah, just tired. Rachel what are you doing here?"

(Open your window so I can come in.) He does and I climb through and demorph.

I told him every thing that happened then waited. Would he yell at me? Would he be mad at me? I could only sit and wait.

"So Crayak offered you a deal and you took it. You really thought he wouldn't get any thing out of it?"

"Well he said he uh, wants me, as his own. So I thought he was doing it so he could gain my loyalty and stuff. If I had any idea all that would happen I never would have done it I swear."

"Of course you wouldn't. Look Rachel every thing seems normal so you got lucky. But realize Crayak is a manipulator. Be careful if he talks to you again ignore him."

"I will now. Thank you for not being mad."

"He played on your emotions. He's a master at manipulating people. He's had who knows how many years of practice. Just ignore him next time ok?"

"I'll make sure I do that." I walked back towards the window and morphed.

Back at home I went to bed. I had lived weeks and yet none of that time existed now. I never corrupted the Chee and they never won the war for us. As much as it sucked thinking about it I was glad it wasn't like that. The Chee were pure and if I was responsible for spoiling that pureness I couldn't live with myself.

As soon as I fell asleep I saw the Eye again. (Hello Rachel.) I turned away and ignored him. I wouldn't let him trick me again.

**A/N Ok a LOT different from most/all the other books. Just interaction between Rachel and Crayak and the world created by her changing one thing. Showing a world with out the Animorph's fighting the Yeerk invasion and how the Chee reacted. A few things changed what they did. First they don't have the Animorphs fighting slowing the invasion down. Second in that timeline the Chee simply smashed in and grabbed the Pemalite Crystal and used holograms so they could escape. So Erik never killed and realized just how horrible it was. And instead they kept the Pemalite Crystal and when they finally rewired themselves well it wasn't pretty for the Yeerks. Any ways I hope any one who reads this reviews.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Animorphs 33 The Hunt (Tobias)**

**Author James the Lesser**

**I do not own the characters, Applegate and her many Ghost Writers do! But I do hope any who read this will enjoy, even if I change things up!**

**1**

I was floating over my meadow. I saw movement. It moved again. A mouse.

I dove tucking my wings back getting as much speed as I could. The mouse moved again and I corrected my path.

At the last second I flare my wings and dig my talons in to the mouse using my speed to carry myself up to a near branch.

What was I doing? I was hunting, feeding, as a hawk. I may have once been a human named Tobias but now I was a hawk. I still went by the name Tobias but only when my friends were around. I fought a war when I wasn't worried about getting dinner. Which is one reason why I was a hawk.

I was still feeding when I heard a noise. It was from a large animal. I some times had deer come by but also wolves. I was a little low for comfort. (Tobias? Are you here?)

(Ax? What is it?)

(Prince Jake has called a meeting. Erik the Chee contacted him.)

(Trouble?)

(I don't know. I was sent to get you by Prince Jake.)

(Let's go.) I got a last bit of the mouse then dropped the rest on the ground before taking off.

We met at Cassie's barn. It was filled with injured animals again. The bird part of me was a little nervous but I could stay calm. (So what's going on?)

"Erik says he comes bearing good and bad news. Mostly bad."

"Bad is right." A stool turned in to Eric. Well, not really. Erik was a Chee, an ancient race of androids that were on Earth so long ago they helped build the pyramids. He and the others kept their cover by using holograms.

"So? What is it? Aren't the Yeerks fighting each other? Isn't that why we risked our butts on the Pool Ship? Well, some of us did." I saw Rachel glaring at Cassie.

(Rachel, her power went out. Unless you think she took out her own transformer.) She glared at me. I didn't like that. Rachel could get very mean when she thought she was right and you were wrong.

"As it was they are."

(Really? Where? Who?)

"No where near here Ax, sorry. Visser Seven and Twelve have rounded up several Sub Visser fleets with theirs. Small as they are alone together they have caused some trouble. Visser One of course is fighting for a seat on the Council as is Visser Two."

"Not Visser Three?"

"No Jake. He would be made Visser One if that happened. A Council Member has power even over a Visser, theoretically."

"But? I hear a but in there."

"But Visser Three, if made Visser One, I'm sure would use that increased power for grabbing more. He might see what the other Visser fleets are doing and decide he has enough here he can take more. Earth is the biggest target for the Yeerks so a lot of fleet is centered her. Not even mentioning the millions of human hosts they've taken."

"But my mom would never let that happen. She hates Visser Three."

"Why she has extra guards and is never in one place for long. Visser Three is suspect number one for hiring the strange alien that killed the members of the Council."

"Who saw me? I, I thought I killed every one."

"You didn't Jake, thankfully. And because of that suspicion is every where on who hired the alien. After Visser Three you have the two Visser's who have been rebelling."

"So that's the good news? What's the bad news?"

"Jake, the Yeerks had some thing we had no idea they were working on. With all the chaos it was let slipped that the Yeerks on an empty planet were building a sensor. One that would detect alien energy like that of a morphing cube."

"Oh, so... Cassie?"

"I have it hidden but if they have a sensor that can detect it I don't know what we can do with it. Uh Erik can you guys hide it?"

"We'll be the ones hiding. This thing can detect us. And our ship."

"Your ship? Yeah, where is it by the way?"

(I've wondered that as well. If it held all the Chee and remaining Pemalite race it must have been rather large.)

"It is Ax. And it is hidden where no human could find it. But a Yeerk might."

"Where?"

"Jake I would tell you but if any of you are taken by the Yeerks then they would know. Our ship has technology that puts any thing the Yeerks have to shame."

"So if they find it then we're all in trouble?"

"Yes. We may soon be leaving this planet."

(Oh, crap. So where is this sensor? If we could take it out then you could stay and we wouldn't need a new place for the cube.)

"That's why I came Tobias. If we could get you to the sensor and you destroyed it then we would be safe." I saw Rachel raise her hand.

"Why can't you guys do it? It isn't living so you could just smash it."

"It is guarded. We would be at risk of harming living beings."

"So what? Is it on Earth?"

"We think it is being transported here now. Visser Three wants it so he can find the morphing cube. He will find a lot more if he gets it here and operational."

"So you'll get us to the Pool Ship and then we destroy it?"

"He's taking it on to his Blade Ship. And from there we believe he is setting it up on Earth."

(Why Earth? It would be safer on his ship.)

"Because from what we understand it must require more power then his ship can give and it must be absolutely still when it is turned on. It calibrates with the planets magnetic force field and then detects unnatural energy. Power plants will show up but the Yeerks know of all power plants so any other energy will not be normal."

"So you find it for us and we take it out. Simple enough once you ignore the dracon beams, Hork Bajir warriors, and Visser Three morphing some monster and ripping us apart like he tends to do. Any thing more dangerous?"

"Marco this is serious!"

"We know Erik. He just does that because he thinks he is funny. I'm up for it. Let us know where it is so we can do the dirty work."

"Rachel, I'm sorry if it sounds like that."

"Because it is that. You guys could have rewritten your code and won this war in a few days. Instead you risk our lives to do the stuff you decided wasn't important enough for you to do."

"I killed Rachel. It is a horrible thing one should never do."

"But you'll have us do it for you."

"Rachel you know our history. Killing was every thing our friends who made us loathed. You may find it enjoyable but I do not."

"I never said I enjoyed it but I do what I need too do so my family remains safe. You will let the Yeerks kill my family or worse just so your precious sensibilities aren't hurt."

"Rachel stop it! Erik needs our help because he will not defile the memories of those who made him. And even if he decided he would change we don't have the Pemalite crystal."

(Jake is right.) I focused on Rachel so only she could hear me. (You said you felt horrified by what you did, what happened, including the Chee. Now you want them killing in this world?)

"I'm just pissed."

"What was that Rachel?"

"Shut up Marco."

(Rachel I'm only talking with you. And I get it I'm annoyed about being their lap dogs and stuff. But aren't we also the Ellimist's pets? He uses us as well and when we do well he gives us a treat. And if not him or the Chee then the Andalite's. Elfangor gave us the powers so we could fight the Yeerks. So we could save a planet he loved.)

"Look um, I'll let you know when it arrives. Sorry for any trouble my people have caused." I watched Erik leave before turning back to Rachel.

(We should fly.)

"I'm out of here." I flew after her and waited for her to morph.

**2**

We used thermals and got as much height as possible. (Rachel are you ok? Is Crayak still bothering you?)

(Yes. Every night he watches me. Taunting me.)

(That is no reason you should take it out on the Chee. They are what they are and can only do what they are programmed. Even if we had the Pemalite Crystal we couldn't force them.)

(But the war would be over.)

(And Crayak would have a victory against the Ellimist. I owe a lot to him. I can't let him down like that.)

(Then maybe only some of them. Some want more action and do more against the Yeerks. We could get them to end the war.)

(We could do a lot of things. But we don't have the Pemalite Crystal and no chance of finding it.)

(Yes we do! They have a machine just for finding stuff like that. We find it and give the Chee a choice. Erik had us get rid of it with out giving the others a choice.)

(So we risk the Yeerks finding the Chee and Morphing Cube so you can find the Pemalite Crystal? I'm sorry Rachel but we shouldn't risk it.)

(You have no family you can lose. I have my mom and sisters and my father. In that world my mother was taken. I don't know what happened with my father. I can't let this happen here.)

(For all you know she is a Controller right now.) I should have kept that last line to myself.

(No!) She turned towards me.

(Rachel calm down!) I spread my wings and slowed down and Rachel struck in front of me. (Rachel! Gain control! Your emotions are having you lose control of your morph!) She dove away from me. (Rachel!)

(Go to Hell! My mother is not a Controller!) Maybe I should go after her. But she was bigger, stronger, and as mad as she was she might have the edge.

**2**

I had nothing better to do after breakfast so I flew out to the school. Rachel was in gym class. Volleyball. I hated volleyball. I saw one on the other team had a good shot at a spike. (Boo!) She flinched and the ball fell at her feet.

"Did any one else hear that? Some one just shouted boo at me."

"Right like you need an excuse for losing to me." I saw Rachel look up.

(Your welcome on the assist.) I landed on top of the school and watched the rest of the volleyball game.

I followed her home and waited outside her window. She saw me and closed the blinds. (Rachel?)

"I'm not talking with you."

(Rachel I'm sorry I said your mom might be one of them. But you must admit it could be possible. Any one could be. Tom was.)

"Tom said he never saw her!"

(Yes but he isn't a Controller still. She could have been made one. We don't know but we can find out.)

"How?"

(I follow her. I follow her for three days and see if she ever goes to the Yeerk Pool. If she doesn't then we'll know. Ok?)

"I guess." She opened the blinds. "I shouldn't have yelled at you." She opened the window for me.

(I shouldn't have said what I did. My parent's are dead so I can't really understand what it must be like worrying about that.)

"And I was annoyed dealing with the Chee on top of it. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. Forgiven?"

(Of course.)

With that settled we went flying again. (So yeah, thanks for the help. We would have lost if they got that point.)

(No problem. I hated gym.) She laughed until we saw a Golden Eagle.

(No, it isn't him. David's dead.) The Golden Eagle dove and I saw his target, a rabbit.

(And he's eating rabbit. David would break in and steal what he wanted.) We kept flying until her time limit neared.)

When we landed she demorphed and went in to a McD's. I demorphed and waited. "Here got it with no pickles just the way you like it."

"Thanks." Two normal teens having a normal dinner. Two normal teens about to have a normal dinner interrupted.

"I thought I saw you!" We turned and saw another Rachel. "Except this looks weird." They changed in to a red headed version of Rachel with a bit longer hair and green eyes. "What do you think?"

"Why are you here?"

"Please Rachel don't be so hostile. Erik told us about your little flipout."

"Well I have a reason."

"Yes you do. And I and others agree. Not every one but some of us."

"So? You don't have the Pemalie Crystal. And we don't know where it is."

"But Jake does doesn't he? Erik said he gave Jake the crystal so he could hide it. So if we found out where he hid it then we can find it."

"I was thinking of using the energy scanner thing the Yeerk's made. It would find every thing right? So why not just use it? Kill the Yeerks and use it ourselves."

"Except none of you humans could probably use it. The Andalite might but even then he would have to be on board."

"What if you came with us? Hidden with a hologram."

"Whoa Rachel we can't make plans behind Jake's back."

"Why not? Tobias if we find that crystal we end the war! Isn't that what you want? Or do you plan on being a hawk for the rest of your life?"

"No but still. The Ellimist wouldn't want the Chee being violent."

"Not all of us would be. And I think with the crystal we could wipe our memories if we needed it. Erik didn't try it because he didn't want the memory of what he did gone or else he might try it again."

"So we just find out where Jake hid it."

"Except he won't tell you Rachel." Rachel and the Chee looked at me. "I won't ask him. I want no part of this."

"Fine. Go find my mom."

"Rachel,"

"You said you would prove she wasn't a Controller. So go do it." I finished the rest of my burger and left.

Her mom was at the office doing what ever it is lawyers do. It was boring but I did say I would do it. I'd rather be keeping an eye on Rachel. Ever since Crayak started messing with her she'd been losing it. Her temper got shorter and shorter. How would she react during a mission? Would she really try using the machine the Yeerk's made for finding the Pemalite Crystal?

It was getting dark and Rachel's mother was finally leaving. Her car was faster then me but with my eyes I could follow her easily.

They had dinner separately. Rachel ate in her room. (Rachel, it is late, I'm going back to my meadow. I'll watch her first thing after I eat in the morning.) I saw her nod and I took off.

In my meadow I couldn't help but feel I was being watched. But there was nothing I could see. I may not have the best night vision but I should see what ever it was watching me. Except for maybe a Chee. (I know you're there.) No response. (Just letting you know.) I went to sleep soon after.

**3**

I followed Rachel's mother as soon as I could. She went to the office and worked. And worked. (Wow she does a lot of paperwork.) I always thought lawyers did stuff in court but I guess before going to court they do this. Phone call, phone call, paperwork, and phone call.

Lunch gave me a break as she went to a local deli and got two sandwiches. I saw her take a piece of bread off and throw it for some pigeons. Dirty rats with wings. I could probably pick one off just so I had some entertainment.

But then I saw trouble. A known Controller was sitting next to Rachel's mom. Was this proof she was a Controller? Wait, it was another lawyer. I flew closer so I could hear what they talked about. "So reconsider my offer?"

"What offer? Your client has no case." I saw the Controller put a hand on her.

"I really think you should reconsider. BPAX will get the land."

"No, they won't. And if you don't remove your hand from my arm I will remove it from your arm." He quickly pulled it away.

"Fine, I see how it is. But realize you will lose and make your firm look bad."

"BPAX can't take the land it is under government protection."

"There are ways around that." He got up and left.

BPAX? Who was that? And what land were they taking? And if a Controller was the lawyer what were the chances the company was owned by another Yeerk? And ways around it? Yeah, taking who ever decides the case and making them a Yeerk. I should tell the others. They're at school so I can tell them all at once.

I saw Rachel sitting in math class. (Rachel, your mom isn't a Controller. But another lawyer is. And the company he is working for is wanting some government land. BPAX it was called. I don't know why but I'm sure that they'll take the judge deciding the case.)

I saw her write on her paper. "I'll ask Cassie. Government lands sounds like protected lands. The forest might be the target."

(Where Ax and I live. Great. I'll meet every one at the barn.)

I saw them walking up to the barn. I already had Ax waiting out back in case Cassie's father showed up first. (Ax, they're here.)

When every one was in the barn Marco spoke up. "I used the library computer and looked up BPAX and found out they're a company that was recently bought by an anonymous buyer. They're a technology company and it turns out they want some mountain land so they can build a new observatory or some thing."

"Sounds like they want a high point for putting the scanner. And you said Rachel's mom is the lawyer protecting the lands?"

(Yes. I saw her out for lunch and followed her. I saw the other lawyer and recognized him as a Controller. He was not happy with her and threatened her that he would win the case.)

"How? Unless they took the judge and made him..." Jake got the idea. "So what judge is on the case?"

"I'll ask my mom when I get home. If she's home. She's been putting in a lot of hours. I guess this is the case."

"Do that. Uh Ax you can could you hack the company and find any thing that might be useful?" Andalite's don't show a lot of emotion in their faces but with all the time I spent I knew he was amused.

(Prince Jake even with the primitive human computers I could hack any system the Yeerk's used.) That's the Andalite arrogance coming through. But with Ax it was probably true.

"Tomorrow is Saturday. Meet here at noon. I don't know yet if we should stop them."

(What? Jake what do you mean?)

"If we know where they're placing it then it makes it easier for us. And out of the city up in the mountains means we'd be far away from every thing. We could go all out in the attack."

"I like that idea."

"So we let the Yeerks take the judge? I can't allow that. We know a target we can save them! I won't let that happen."

"No Cassie. I, we hate taking the DNA of humans but we can just knock him out and morph him."

(Do any of us know enough law to pass ourselves off as a judge? And two hour limit.)

"Except for you Tobias."

(Oh, right. So uh, should I start reading up on law or just watch some Law and Order?)

"Start reading up. I wonder how long they've been planning this. I'll fly out to the Hork Bajir colony and talk with Tom. I think we should try and take the judge's place and give the BPAX company permission for building."

(Ax do you think you could get some information from online?)

(Any thing that is online I can find.) Ax was amazing. He got satellite television and some how managed to build a computer and hook it up to the internet through the same satellite. It was easily ten times faster then Marco's dial up. Could you imagine the money we could make with that? Maybe after the war...

**4**

It had been four days and my brain was burnt out. (This is why it takes years to become a lawyer. I'll never remember all of this stuff.)

(It seems very complicated. I don't know how your species has been able to solve any thing.) Ax had been reading with me and even he was confused.

(But I must learn as much as possible. Rachel says the hearing is in nine days. The Yeerks will try and take him before then.)

(And Prince Jake is still working on a way of making him sleep while you sit on the throne.)

(Bench, they call it a bench. Why I'm not sure I haven't found that yet.)

Five more days and we were at the judge's house. The Chee warned us today was when he would be taken. (I see the car coming. Get ready Jake.) I was the eye in the sky for him and the others.

He was in the Howler morph. The others were nearby in wolf morph in case Jake lost it. We weren't sure what else to do. The hearing was just a few days away and if they got the judge our plan would be in trouble.

The car was only a mile away. Thankfully the judge had a nice house out in the woods away from the hustle and bustle of the city. (Almost there Jake.)

(Are we sure they will hear the howl?)

(I doubt they listen to music. Just stay back every one I'll howl once and then attack.) I hoped as high up as I was I'd be unaffected.

The car went around the turn and Jake stepped out. I could barely hear the howl and even at such a low volume it hurt a little. But the driver clearly heard it and wrecked the car. (I hope they were wearing seatbelts.)

(Hold back every one.) Jake walked towards the car. (They're breathing, I can hear it. But they're out. I think we did it, this time. The Chee said they would inform us of any more tries.)

(Well that was easy. I'm going back I have more reading to do.)

(Good luck.) I flew back to Ax's Scoop.

Two days before the hearing and I wanted to give up. A hawk it turns out can get a headache if stuck reading a screen for hours on end. (Any thing that will break this up.) I should have staid quiet.

(Some one is coming.) I quickly took off in the air and looked for the person.

(I don't see them.)

(Must be a Chee.)

"It is." I saw a bush move and then turn in to a Chee I didn't recognize.

(Who are you?)

"Call me Jim. I'm here because three Chee went missing. One of them was the one we let you use as Rachel."

(And? Can't you contact them through some Chee connection?)

"They cut it. These three are more, active, or wish to be in the war."

(They're looking for the Pemalite Crystal.) What was Rachel up to? Did she find out where Jake hid it? (We gotta go find Jake.)

(We believe he is with Cassie. They are not at the barn but we see footprints that turn from human to wolf. We can move fast but we can not see from above. I was sent to find you.)

(Yeah, I can probably find them. Ax can help as well. Don't ask Rachel she might be a part of this.)

"We understood that already. We paired her off with her Chee because we thought they were most alike. Unfortunately they were too much alike. Her Pemalite was one of the few who thought we should fight back."

(What? I thought they were all peaceful.)

"Are all humans peaceful? Of course not. When the Howler's first showed up less than one percent voted for turning the Chee on the Howler's. They were, not shamed, just made the others disappointed. You may think all Pemalite as peaceful but that is just a simplistic view. Just like you view all Yeerk forces as violent parasites."

(Because they are.)

"No Ax, they aren't. Some actually refuse to take hosts unless they volunteer and even then they try and let the host have some control. We even have Yeerks who simply sit in the host and just enjoy sight and sound. Unfortunately they are few and far between."

(So I'm off. As soon as Ax morphs he can help.) I took off and wondered just what Rachel had done. She must be behind it.

I saw two wolves near a stream. (Jake? Cassie?) Both looked up.

(Uh, what is it? Is it important?)

(Yes. Three Chee have gone missing. One of them was the one that covered for Rachel.)

(Any idea what happened?)

(Yes.) I told Jake about what Rachel had discussed earlier. (Did you tell her?)

(No. The only people who have any idea are Marco, Cassie, and myself.)

(Me? I don't know where it is.)

(I just told you a couple days ago.) Oh crap.

(No, you didn't. Either it was Rachel in a Cassie morph or a Chee using a Cassie hologram. Where did you hide it? Rachel and the three Chee are probably looking for it right now.)

(I didn't really hide it. We went to the beach with Homer and played fetch with it for a bit until Homer lost it in the ocean. I didn't want to know where it was just in case, you know, I was taken.)

(Not a bad plan except I'm guessing we can find three Chee and one dolphin on the beach where you were.) I saw both start demorphing.

I found a Chee and told them what was going on. (Jake will lead us to the part of the beach where it happened. Can you guys see Chee even when they're using a hologram to hide themselves?)

"Yes. Thank you for helping us once again." I saw the Peregrine Falcon that was Jake and followed it.

The beach looked empty. And a Red Tail Hawk was not meant for looking through the water. Thankfully Cassie was an Osprey and they could do that. (I see a dolphin. It is alone and they usually travel in pods.)

(It must be Rachel.) I flew lower. (Rachel!)

(She flinched.) Maybe being trapped as an Osprey would have been better. Except I always hated seafood and that was their main diet.

Jake flew past me. (Rachel we know it is you. Come out of the ocean now!)

(Go away Jake!)

(Don't make me send Cassie in. She can go Humpback and kick your butt out of the water.)

(Leave us alone! We'll end this war with out your help.) I saw what would seem like a ripple against nothing but I knew it was a Chee hiding itself.

(Rachel this isn't the way. You told me what happened in that other world terrified you. You killed Jake just so you could fix it. Will you kill Jake again?)

(I wasn't thinking right in that other world. When I saw my mom had been taken I lost it.)

(And what makes you think you aren't losing it now?)

(I don't know. I'm sick of this. We sit around and then the Chee come and give us orders. If they could do the dirty work themselves they could end this! It wouldn't even take all of them just a few.)

(Rachel I want this over as much as any one else but we can't corrupt ourselves. I read a story about how an army could win the war if they sold their souls. Most were on board but one stood up and said _What__is__the__point__of__winning__the__war__if__what__we__do__makes__us__corrupt?__I__would__rather__die__a__man__then__live__as__a__demon.)_

(And? Did they lose?)

(Destroyed. But they lost knowing they hadn't lost themselves.)

(I'd rather live corrupted then lose every one I love because I didn't do every thing I could to stop the Yeerks. If you had any family you might understand.)

(Low blow Rachel, low blow.) She never responded.

I staid up high and watched as several Chee appeared. Suddenly the Chee that had been helping Rachel were visible. There were three and they were surrounded by a dozen other Chee.

**5**

We met at the barn the next day. Rachel looked up at me but I didn't look back. "Rachel what were you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we can win this war with the Pemalite Crystal. Even if only twenty Chee change their programming it would be enough. They could hack the Pool Ship, empty the Yeerk Pool on it, and use the weapons to destroy any Yeerk ships around it. And if you're not on board with that then I don't care. I'll do it alone."

"No Rachel. We have a big mission coming up. Tomorrow is the hearing and we must make sure Tobias can pass himself off as a judge."

(And find a way to keep the real one from showing up.)

"Yes and we have an answer. A Chee works as a nurse at a hospital. They got us some pretty strong sleep medicine. We just sneak in and slip it in his drink."

"And how do we do that?"

"Simple Marco. I morph a Spider Monkey and sneak in and through it in his orange juice. I already acquired it so we just wait until tomorrow."

"Will you get up in time or will your power go out again?" Every one glared at Rachel, even Ax which seems a strange thing since he used all four eyes.

"Unless you think she morphed a squirrel, crawled in to the transformer, and electrocuted herself she wasn't responsible for that. And in the end it was a good idea leaving some of us behind. We didn't know how well it would go."

"What ever. Be mad at me all you want I don't care. I know a way of winning this war and I will win it."

"How do you know? Sorry Xena but the Chee are cool and all but even if they rewire themselves the Yeerk's still have numbers and weapons."

"I know. Jake and Tobias know how I know."

"What? That doesn't make any sense."

"Marco let it go. We don't have time for this Rachel. Tom said that this Scanner must have been top secret because he didn't even know about it. But if they get it here and get it running they'll find the Chee and the morphing cube."

"Why not just take it apart? Would that work Ax?"

(Even if it is disassembled this Scanner may find it Marco. Unless you hid it at a power plant or other source of strong energy the Yeerks will find it.)

"And then the Chee and their ship would still be found. Where ever it is I'm sure the Yeerks could find it. We must get it here then destroy it."

(And that means I must become Your Honor tomorrow. I've been reading a lot of stuff but we have no idea what they might bring up. Standards, codes, precedence.)

"We have a couple ideas. Ax can use a computer in another room and use it to search stuff. Since you will be in a morph you can thoughtspeak. If they mention some thing you don't know tell Ax and he'll look it up."

(Ok so we just wait for tomorrow? I should go hunt late instead of searching for breakfast.)

"Meet at the judge's place. The Chee said the Yeerks might try taking him on his morning drive to work. But if you fly they can't grab you."

"What about clothes? He can't show up in boxers and a muscle shirt."

"Got it covered Rachel. I'll be at the house so I can just go in and find the clothes then put them in a bag and run as a wolf before pasing them off to Jake who will take them in to the city." Cassie turns her back on Rachel. "We were planning while you went off looking for the Pemalite Crystal." I heard Rachel mumble some thing nasty. With my enhanced hearing I picked it up while the others didn't.

(She's right Rachel.)

"Shut up Tobias."

"Rachel if you can't keep yourself together maybe you should go home."

"Maybe I will." Rachel turned and left.

"Tobias, Cassie, please stay. The rest of you go."

(Yes Prince Jake.)

"Yes Prince Jake."

"Marco, don't call me prince."

"Yes Prince Jake." Marco and Ax left the barn going separate directions.

(So why are we staying behind? Rachel?)

"Yes, unfortunately. I told Cassie about what Rachel went through."

"And now she's looking back on it and thinking it was better. Even with the losses having the war over was all she can see now."

(Huh?)

"Uh, well, if it was Marco imagine he had a game he played all the time. Then he got bored and stopped playing it. Then uh, his system broke and now he can't play with it. Now all he can think about is playing that game. He doesn't remember that he was bored with it he just thinks about playing it."

(She doesn't think about Marco or I being dead she just thinks about how the war was over because now she has us both alive in this world, got it.)

"She could be dangerous if she can't focus. Tobias is there any thing you can do? Say?"

(Yesterday she made a mention of me having no family. I didn't take it very well.) But if we lost Rachel we could be in trouble. She was braver and stronger then any of us. (But I can forgive her and try and work things out with her.)

"It is more then that. We have an important mission coming up. Not just the judge but then destroying the scanner. Ax says if they have any of the information on how it was made with it he can hack and destroy it. Which gave me an idea."

(An idea involving what?)

"Two attacks but so it only looks like one attack."

(Splitting our forces? Jake that's a bad idea.)

"It won't happen if we can't get Rachel on track. What I want is two attacks but in a way that the Yeerks don't know we attacked the scanner device. Ax has already agreed you can absorb his DNA. You and the others will attack some where, any where, while Ax and I sneak in and destroy the scanner in a way that makes it look like an accident."

(And I'll be Ax because they know what he looks like. Nice plan.)

"A nice plan if we can get every one on it. Which right now might be hard if Rachel goes off on her own."

(I'll talk to her tonight. After I hunt.)

"Thank you Tobias."

(No problem Prince Jake.)

"Don't call me prince! Pretty soon every one else will and that's just weird."

(Yes Prince Jake.) I took off.

After hunting I flew to Rachel's house but she wasn't there. (She has to be here.)

I flew around and looked in through every window. Her sisters were already in bed and her mom was up working on her papers. I could see some court decision. I hadn't read up on any of them. Maybe I should stop at Ax's and read as much as I could.

I waited about twenty more minutes but Rachel wasn't there and hadn't come home. Jake? No, Cassie. She could morph an Osprey and see through the water. Unless they were smarter this time and used holograms to cover her. I needed the Chee. They would know if any other Chee were out looking for the Pemalite Crystal. Erik's house wasn't that far as the bird flew.

(Erik! Mr. King! Any one! Any Chee please tell me some one is there!) I saw two Chee come out.

"Animorph, Red Tail Hawk, you must be Tobias."

(Yes, I am. And I'm looking for another, Rachel, who has,)

"Who has been looking for the crystal. She has led several of us astray."

(It sounded more like she found some who already wanted too they just didn't know where the crystal was.)

"And now they have an idea. All are accounted for. So she is not with any of our kind."

(I'll see if I can't find her myself. Thank you. I guess I didn't really wake any one up.)

"No you didn't."

I flew out to the beach and tried contacting Rachel. Either she wasn't going to respond or she wasn't here. Only one way I could find out.

I hovered then started morphing. A hawk isn't made for swimming. Another way an Osprey was a little better situated for this area.

When I was too heavy I fell in to the water but I was already enough dolphin that the cold water didn't bother me.

Soon I was a dolphin and used my echolocation. No other dolphin. Rachel wasn't here. Was she farther out?

I swam for hours looking for her. When I finally swam up and beached myself on shore so I could demorph I saw the son was coming up. I had been out all night! Not good, not good. I needed to get going.

**6**

I made it to his house as the others were making it there. Cassie was already a monkey and Marco was keeping an eye out as an Osprey. (I'm here. Any one see or hear from Rachel?)

(No, was she upset after last night?)

(I don't know I never found her Cassie.)

(Never found her? Tobias she wasn't home?)

(Or at the beach or with any Chee. Cassie any idea where she might be?)

(No. We, we don't need her for this. I'll drug the judge and you acquire his DNA. I think he's already up.) I saw her sneak in through a window.

I landed outside and waited. It was maybe twenty minutes before Cassie came out. (He's sleeping at the kitchen table. Marco go in and find his clothes. I need to demorph then morph wolf.) I flew through the open door and found the judge.

Now I just had to fly downtown, morph in to the judge and hope I could pass myself off as him. Great. And try not to worry about Rachel being missing.

I made it with plenty of time. Jake was waiting for me. (So far so good except Rachel is missing.)

"Cassie told me. But this is the important thing right now we can look for her after."

(If I make it through this. Has a judge ever been arrested for being incompetent?)

"Doubt it." I morphed in to the judge.

It felt weird being some one like a judge. I was an important person. I decided the fates of people. I would set up the Yeerks for a trap. If I could pull this off.

I had watched shows where the judge waited for the bailiff to call for every one to rise. I hoped reality mirrored fiction.

I walked in and sat down. I saw Rachel's mother. Even with out my hawk vision I could see the rings under her eyes. She had been up late but she must have gotten some sleep. I however had not. With out a two hour time limit I hadn't thought of keeping track of the time.

I sat there and almost fell asleep. I didn't understand half the stuff they were saying and the other half that I did wasn't very exciting.

We broke for lunch. I again almost fell asleep. "Your Honor," Some one handed me a drink. I took a sip and realized it was coffee. I couldn't stand coffee but I needed the caffeine.

When we restarted I was feeling the buzz. My eyes were vibrating between the caffeine and lack of sleep. I wasn't paying attention. (Tobias, are you there?)

(What? Uh, yes.) I snapped back awake.

(What's going on? Is it almost over? Marco says the judge is still sleeping but we don't know how much longer he will stay out.)

(Uh, they're doing closing stuff, I think. Jake I'll let you know.) I tried paying attention.

So far so good. Was only asked twice for objections the whole day and I overturned both. Not sure if I should have but I did. But soon I would make a choice. I already had it made so that was easy. "Look it is late maybe we should continue this tomorrow."

"What?" That caught me off guard.

"We can continue tomorrow."

"No, we're here, let us finish." Oh please tell me that is some thing a judge could do.

"Well, I guess, your Honor." Wow got lucky there.

It was another hour and a half before both sides finished. Now it was on me. I think. I sat there for a few minutes before Rachel's mom finally spoke up. "Your Honor? Are we breaking for the day?"

"No, I'm deciding. You both provided valid arguments." Now how would a judge word it? (Jake I need to make a decision in favor of the Yeerks. How do I do that?)

(Ax has the computer up with the past rulings. Try saying...) He read off a bunch of stuff that sounded complicated and lawyerish. Hopefully it would work.

"Thank you your Honor." I wanted to knock that smirk off of the lawyer's face. Maybe I would soon. He drove a nice car. I could mess it up.

"Your Honor how can you rule in their favor? This is protected lands!"

"I've made my decision." Now I had to leave like a judge would and get out of here.

**7**

Rachel was still missing. I don't think her mother had noticed with her big case but now that it was over she was calling around. Cassie had told her she hadn't seen her, which was true. "What do we do? She just took off? She's planning some thing big."

"Like what? Short of stealing a space shuttle and crashing it into..." Marco stopped. "That's not a bad idea."

(Yes it is. And the space shuttle? She couldn't pilot it.)

"Or a plane. What if she tries like making a bomb and blowing up the Yeerk Pool? That I could see her doing. Jake we're in trouble if she goes off like this. She could be captured."

"Or she could succeed. The Yeerk Pool is under the city. If she detonates a bomb and it causes the whole thing to collapse we could see tens of thousands dead."

"So we stop her. If we can find her. What if she tries like hijacking an airplane and crashing it? I doubt it takes much to crash one. Jake buddy your cousin is going off the deep end if she tries any of this."

(Why we must find her. I'll head out now and look.) I took off. I was tired but we must find Rachel.

I had to sleep. I knew the others were looking for her. I flew to my meadow and slept.

When I woke up it was dark. My eyes were still better then a humans at night but not as good as they were during the day. Maybe I should get an owl morph. I know where an owl staid but the night was his. I wouldn't dare try attacking him at night.

But I saw movement. It was an owl coming right at me! I flared my wings and started to let out the loudest screech I could when the owl landed a few branches away. (Tobias it's me!)

(Rachel? What are you doing? Where were you?)

(I was following a Yeerk after he came to my house. He was spying on us!)

(And? Why didn't you come to us?)

(I was busy following him. They were planning on making my mom a Controller so she would tank the case. I went full out as a Hork Bajir and attacked. I said some thing about free Hork Bajir as best as one could. But more came and they had guns and I ran. I had time to hide and demorph but they were looking for me.)

(And that took all this time?)

(Well, I followed them again to another house.)

(And you attacked them again?)

(Yes.)

(And you didn't learn from the last time? Rachel what were you thinking?)

(I wasn't! I was pissed and worried for my mom and sisters. I attacked and I killed them!) She spread her wings and took off.

(Rachel!) I took off after her.

(No! I killed them. It was so easy that second time. They thought I had fled and that they were in a safe place. They let their guard down.)

(Rachel I don't blame you! I don't have any family left except for Ax and he doesn't need protecting. Please stop flying a hawk is not meant for flying at night.) She finally landed. (Rachel, what happened? Every thing, tell me.)

(I killed them and more came. They recognized the claw marks as Hork Bajir. They suspected the free Hork Bajir. They sent troops in to the sewers thinking that was how they got in. I followed them down and picked them off one by one.)

(Humans?)

(All of them. I, I murdered them. One by one I cut them, stabbed them, crushed them.)

(But you were gone a long time.)

(I ran after that. I couldn't face the others. I don't know if I can. Cassie will never speak to me again. We might have killed a human here or there by accident and stuff but we've never done it like this.)

(Jake killed humans.)

(He lost control of a morph. I was cold, calculated.)

(You were protecting your family. And may have saved the mission.)

(How did it go? How did you do?)

(We did it. Yeerks will be building the place and when it is finished we'll attack. But we need you Rachel.)

(I know, I'm sorry. I lost my mind. When I saw that Yeerk at my house I almost killed him right there. But I knew I should follow him and kill the rest. But after I realized what I had done I panicked.)

(I don't care what you did I'm just happy you're safe.) I landed on the ground and started morphing my human self.

Before I had finished she had landed and started demorphing. "Thank you Tobias."

"It's ok Rachel." I hugged her and let her cry.

**A/N Well, read, review, like or dislike, tell me. I want this series to be as good as it can be. As for the trial and stuff, I really didn't know how to play it out so kept it simple. Focused on Tobias's thoughts instead of what was actually going on since I sure don't know any legalese. And I tried explaining Rachel's sudden decision to find the Pemalite Crystal. In the old world she was freaked out by what happened and killed Jake to change it. But now that Tobias, and Marco, was alive and all the terrible things that happened she forgets about it and just focuses on the fact that the war was over.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Animorphs 34 The Trip (Cassie)**

**Author James the Lesser**

**I do not own the characters, Applegate and her many Ghost Writers do! ****But I do hope any who read this will enjoy, even if I change things up!**

**1**

Hello. I'm Cassie. Just Cassie. By now any one who is reading this should know why I am just Cassie. The Yeerks. A race of parasitic slugs who crawl in through your ear and wrap around your brain turning you in to a slave. Any one could be one. My, friend, Jake's brother was one until we freed him. My mom is not thankfully. I only know that because she found out about my secret and I'm still free.

I'm a plain looking black girl. Well, maybe not plain but I doubt many people would look at me and go wow. Especially after I got done working in the barn. Jake, my friend, didn't seem too mind though and that is good enough for me.

But right now I was arguing with my best friend at the mall. "What happened Rachel? You just took off for a couple days. Your mom called me wondering where you were."

"I know and I'm sorry but I can't tell you."

"Why not? What did you do? Look for the Pemalite Crystal? I won't be mad about that." I get in her way and she tries pushing me to the side.

"No. Leave me alone. I need new shoes again because of you know what." I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her over to a changing booth.

"Rachel I'm not letting you go until you tell me what happened."

"I'll make you let go." I pull away but stay in the door of the changing room.

"Rachel please I'm your friend. I worry, we all do, about you."

"Fine. Meet me at my house. I do need new shoes." I back out of the entrance and let her go over to the shoe section.

I flew over to her house and waited. I could see the clock through the window of the house across the street so I could keep track of time. I had a half hour left by the time Rachel got home. (Open your window I need to demorph.) She simply nodded. Since she wasn't in morph she couldn't thought speak back.

I flew in to her room and demorphed. "Rachel are you ok?"

"No, why?"

"I, I should be asking you why."

"Why do you care? You made it clear I'm the nut case. When Erik said I loved killing you didn't defend me. No one did."

"I didn't know it mattered. I know you don't love it and I thought you knew that. None of us love it." She went over to her bed and put down her shopping bag. "Rachel why would you think that? I've never said you loved it."

"You all use me because you think I'm violent. I go and do what must be done and you all look down at me. Kill David? You and the others ignored when I went after him with a fork. But I threaten to kill his parents? Oh gee now I'm all violent."

"Well, that was a little much. His parents are human and we don't kill humans."

"I do! I follow them and morph Hork Bajir and kill them. When others show up with guns I run and hide. Then I follow them to another place and kill them some more. I must go and hide from the others because you'll all think I'm a monster for protecting my family from the Yeerks who were going to grab my mom."

"What happened? Why? Did they attack your mom?"

"I caught them outside my house. They were going to take my mom and make her a host so she'd lose the case. I hunted them down and killed them and any one sent to save them."

"No, how could you? You could have attacked and scared them off with out killing them."

"Maybe. I'll never know now will I?"

"Rachel that is horrible! How could you kill humans on purpose?"

"Easy when it is my family being targeted. I'd hope you would do the same for yours. Or would you let your mom get taken and get us all killed?"

"I, no, I don't, I don't know."

"Or would you come to me begging me to do it because I'm violent and I'm crazy and I would never say no to a fight would I?" I hated what she said. Not because it was wrong but because it was right. I don't know if I could kill a human on purpose. I have a hard time killing Hork Bajir knowing they are peaceful herbivores. "Don't cry just because I'm right."

"You are right." I sat down on the end of her bed. "I would come to you then hate you after for doing it."

"And I'm the monster here?"

"No. This is war and I know some times we can't help it. We disable a Bug Fighter we know has human hosts on it and it crashes we know we killed them. But we don't hunt down human hosts and kill them. We try and free them."

"But we can't save all of them. If it takes killing a few I'm not pulling back. I'm not losing my family because you don't feel like killing some one." I get off her bed and walk to the window.

"I don't want to kill any one. Hork Bajir, Taxxon, Human, none of them."

"And if we all felt that way Earth would be doomed. Now go tell Jake how big of a monster I am for protecting my family."

"I wasn't, I'm not. I have work to do at the barn." I morph back in to Osprey and leave.

Normally flying can make all the stress of life disappear. Floating on a thermal high above the city makes it seem so far away. No Yeerks, no wars, just gliding through the air. But after what happened with Rachel I couldn't think of any thing else.

Instead of going home I did go to Jake's house. (Jake? Is it safe?)

"My parents are at work." He opens the window for me.

After I demorphed I felt a little uncomfortable. You see when you morph you don't morph your clothes. So when you demorph all you can really make are skin tight clothing like a leotard. Standing in his room in just a leotard just a few months ago would have been weird but I don't think as awkward. Ever since we became more than friends every thing just seems too mean more. Like standing in his room in just a leotard. "Did Rachel tell you what happened?"

"Yes. She, the Yeerks went after her mom. She made sure that didn't happen." I couldn't look him in the eye. Rachel was his cousin, his family, but how would he take what she did?

"What did she do? Don't hide it."

"She killed them. She hunted them down and morphed Hork Bajir then killed them."

"Other Hork Bajir?"

"Would they have Hork Bajir in the middle of a neighborhood?"

"No. So that's why she didn't tell us."

"It isn't all her fault. We, she's right when she says we use her. When we need some thing done that I or you might not feel comfortable with we turn to her. We can't use her as our hammer then cry when she hits a nail."

"What?" I laughed nervously.

"I was thinking of an analogy that would work and that was the best I could come up with. I don't know what we should do. We can't punish her for it we need her and I'm not sure what she did was wrong. They went after her mom because of the court case and she stopped them. If she had come to us we might have found another way but she panicked."

"If I found out Tom was going to take our parents I'd stop him and who ever was sent. If it meant killing them I would." He sits down on his bed. "No, I can say that when I know Tom is safe at the Hork Bajir colony but if it had happened? I don't know what I would have done."

"I know." I sit down next to him and hold his hand. "If they came after my parents? I would have to wouldn't I? My mom knows our secret. I couldn't let them take her." He squeezes my hand trying to reassure me.

"I hate this. If the Andalite's showed up and didn't use that Quantum Virus they used on the Hork Bajir we wouldn't be talking about this."

"I know." I leaned my head on his shoulder. "We could be just two normal teens."

"Yeah." I felt him run a finger on my arm. It sent chills down my spine. "Worried about a pimple before a date not if we'll come out of the next mission alive." I turn to him. I wanted to kiss him. We had before but it was usually a so happy we made it kiss. Except for that time at the mall but that was one time. "Jake, I," We hear a door close. "Some one is home."

"Yeah. We'll meet at your barn tomorrow. Tom told me the Hork Bajir freed some more of their kind and they were talking about a new base being built. It might be big I don't know yet." He hugged me then let me go. "I'd help at the barn tonight but I have homework piling up."

"I can handle it. We're still pretty empty after what happened." I morphed Osprey then went out through his window.

**2**

The next day every one was at the barn. A weird assortment of teenage kids, a hawk, and a blue centaur looking alien named Aximilli... Well, we called him Ax. Tom was the last one to make it having too fly in from the Hork Bajir colony. (Sorry I'm late.)

"No problem. So what is it the Hork Bajir want us to do? Is it fun? Dangerous? Suicidal? Or even better all of the above?" Marco and his sarcasm. He would do any mission if it might one day lead to freeing his mother.

"Maybe. The Yeerks are working on mass breeding the Hork Bajir. They need more shock troops while the Civil War splits forces between the war with the Andalite fleet and a couple planets they are invading."

"How? Here?"

"On Earth but not near here. Another country where they won't be discovered."

"Where?"

"Not sure. Hork Bajir aren't exactly geography students. Sand, lots of it, and no cities are the description they gave me little bro." Well that narrowed it down.

"Desert. Gobi or Arabian maybe. Nomads or hut villages being the only civilization. Maybe the Sahara but it could be any of those. Any way we could figure out which one?"

"Uh, sneak in, hack a computer, find the location, get out? Unless you have a better Cassie."

"I don't Tom. But sneak in where? The Yeerk Pool?"

"Could ask the Chee. Or would that be too much work for them?"

"Rachel cool it. Cassie if we go to the Yeerk Pool we go there. I don't like it any more than you do but if the Yeerks are force breeding Hork Bajir it affects the whole war. Tom are there any places we could go that aren't the Yeerk Pool that might have what we're looking for?"

"The Sharing HQ but they probably have that locked down. Or the new facility they are building for the alien energy scanner."

"That is barely framework right now and I don't want them knowing we know about it. Ax could you hack the Yeerks from the outside?"

(If they are connected to the internet then yes Prince Jake.)

"Don't call me Prince."

(Yes Prince Jake.)

"Any chance they are connected Tom?"

"Uh, well, Yeerk arrogance might make them think there is no chance of some one trying to hack them. But if it is top secret stuff I doubt they'd let even the slightest chance of the Andalite Bandits from finding out with out going in and risking their necks."

"The Sharing HQ? Great. Because I know I have great memories of it." Marco walks towards the exit. "Maybe we should ask the Chee. They could go in and find it for us."

"That's what I said."

"No you didn't. You gotta sugar coat it first. Try dropping the sneer Xena."

"Shut up Marco. I'll go ask them right now."

"No. Marco or I should."

"Why? Because you let them use us?"

"No Rachel because I am the leader as much as one could say I am one and Marco is friends with Erik."

"And if they say no?"

"Then we sneak in and find it the hard way."

"What ever. I have homework. You go ask the Chee if they'll do us a favor and if they say no order us in but make sure we don't do any thing violent or it might make the rest of you look bad." Rachel storms out of the barn.

"Tobias please keep an eye on her. Things are stressful enough as it is. If she goes off on her own again she could get herself killed or worse."

(No problem.) I watch Tobias leave from the rafters.

"Well that was pleasant." Marco checks the time. "I'm sure Erik is home by now. Wanna go now Jake?"

"Yes. The faster we know what is going on the faster we can stop the Yeerks." Jake and Marco leave.

(I can try hacking the Yeerks and see if there is any useful information. If not on the Hork Bajir breeding then maybe on the scanner. We don't know how long it will take for the new facility too be completed.) I walk to the entrance.

"You're clear." He runs out.

"So, uh, now what?" I almost forgot Tom was here. It was still strange thinking he was a part of the group.

"Um, I don't know. I have some feeding to do if you wanna help."

"Ok, sure. Beats going back to the colony. Ax hooked me up with the same television set up he has but you can only watch so much before it starts burning your eyes."

It was weird working with him. He looked like Jake just a few inches taller and a bit heavier. "So uh, how is the whole colony life going?"

"Ok. My neighbors are all nice if not the best for conversation. Toby doesn't like the other Hork Bajir watching television with me. She doesn't want them learning about humanity from a box she says."

"Well that and television is so fake. Humans don't really act like they do with problems resolved in only thirty minutes."

"Wouldn't it be nice if they were? We need to stop the Yeerks from mass producing Hork Bajir. Twenty five minutes later done."

"With no deaths on the good guy team."

"And a cool theme song for the battles."

"And every thing is black and white. Good or bad."

"Speaking of black and white how are you and my brother doing?" That caught me off guard.

"Huh?"

"I tried talking with him about it but he always downplays it. Even when I was a Controller I knew there was some thing between you two. I didn't think it was working to save the world but I knew there was some thing there."

"Well, um, we're dating kind of. Not a lot of time for it with all the other stuff."

"Keep at it I think it is awesome. He needs that connection so he stays grounded. He seems distant every time I see him but then I see you two sneak a glance or brush hands and it makes me happy he has some one."

"I, I guess. I worry about him."

"So do I. I can't believe the whole Andalite Bandit stuff was him and his friends. You guys have done a ton of damage. Destroying Kandronas, blowing up ships, killing some of the council members, and a few more things I'm sure you already know."

"It isn't enough. They just keep coming and we keep trying but it isn't enough."

"If the Andalite fleet doesn't show up maybe the Civil War will. Have Visser Three so busy fighting off other Yeerk forces he can't stop us."

"It would give us a break."

"Give you and Jake some time for smooching." He laughed. It had been so long since I heard him laugh. Before meeting Elfangor I had met Tom. Rachel was my best friend and he was her cousin. But had it been that long?

**3**

The next morning I was woken up by some one who looked just like me. "Huh? What time is it?" I look at the alarm. "I still have time before school."

"You aren't going to school." She holds up a piece of paper. "You have a flight to catch."

"What?" I was out of it. Halfway between sleep and awake.

"We hacked the Sharing computers last night and found where the Hork Bajir breeding facilities were. This is a plane ticket to China."

"China?"

"Gobi Desert. You have a couple hours to take a shower and eat but don't take too long. We're replacing all of you and giving you fake identities."

"Why fake?"

"Well Tom is dead, Tobias disappeared, Ax isn't human, and the rest of you are teens who should be in school. Good enough an explanation for you?"

"What?" Was I still dreaming? Was I really going to China?

"I'll give you a few minutes to wake up." I would need more than that.

I took the fastest shower possible then grabbed a pop tart before going back to my room. "So what are we doing? China?"

"You're going to China where the Hork Bajir breeding facilities are at. The flight leaves in a little over an hour. We have a car to take you."

"But, I, passport I think it is in the safety deposit box at the bank."

"For you Cassandra Olivander." She hands me some documents. "Wife of Jonathan Olivander. His sister Rebecca and her husband Terry Fangden are going with you the vacation of a life time."

"Wait, Rebecca and Terry? Rachel and Tobias?" She nodded. "And Jonathan must be Jake. Huband? I, we, why not just really good friends?"

"The fewer last names we make up the better. We can fake any thing but the simpler it is the better. Markus, Talbot, and Phillip are just three friends who don't know the two newly wed couples."

"Newly weds?"

"When I said vacation I figured you'd prefer that over Honeymoon." She winked at me. Is that what I look like when I wink? When was the last time I winked? Why am I thinking of any thing but that last word?

"Uh, thanks. So I have a ride?"

"And your bag." She hands me my travel bag.

"When?"

"While you were in the shower. I made sure your deodorant and toothbrush were packed as well. If you need any thing while over there we packed you some Chinese money. It should be enough depending on how long you're over there."

"I don't know Chinese."

"Thankfully the Chee know every language spoken for the past few thousand years. Erik is coming with you."

"You guys set this up in only a few hours?"

"We don't sleep, there are dozens of us just in this town, and we can do thousands of processes at once. When we need we can get things done." She patted me on the cheek. "Better get out there. Your parents will be up soon."

"Ok." What else could I say or do? I woke up being told I was going to China. I guess I was going to China.

At the airport I saw Jake. I mean Jonathan. My... Wow.

He hands me a box. "What is this?"

"Open it. Part of our disguise." I opened it and saw a gold ring. A wedding ring. "I already have mine on." He raises his hand and shows it.

"I don't know my ring size." I took it out of the box and put it on. It fit perfectly.

"I don't either but they did. So uh I guess we get on the plane."

"Yeah, first class. I've only flown in coach when my parents took me on vacation." I looked around for our gate.

At the gate I saw Tobias and Rachel. Terry and Rebecca. "Hey uh, nice rings."

"Yeah, I guess you got the same ones." I showed mine.

"Where's the engagement ring?" Rachel shows me hers.

"I didn't get one." I looked over at Jonathan.

"They gave me the wedding rings. I didn't know about an engagement ring."

"The Chee replacing me gave me mine." Rachel, Rebecca, holds it close to her face. "Didn't have a chance to see if it was a real diamond."

"It is." We turn and see Erik. "And here is your engagement ring." He hands me a box. "She forgot to give it to you. Don't worry about losing them if you morph either give them to me before you do or just leave them where they are. We have a couple of our kind running a jewelry store and can get a dozen more."

"Ok. So we just get on the plane?" I looked up at the board. "Here to China direct flight. Are you sure our passport and stuff will pass?"

"Of course. We aren't real people and we've been able to pass ourselves off for longer than mankind had the wheel."

"Where are the others?" I noticed Terry kept squinting.

"Need glasses?"

"No I'm just not used too human vision."

"I saw Markus and Phillip board already and Tolbert was going through security. We can't act like we know them. Don't worry every one we can do this." I saw Jonathan was sweating. This was a big mission. Going overseas for days if not weeks. What if we didn't get back in time for the scanner?

"What about Ax? Phillip, he needs to demorph and remorph." I hadn't thought of that. Good thing Jonathan did.

"I'm here for that. I can throw up a hologram so he can do what he needs. First class has a lot more room so he should be able to do it with out any one noticing. Even better this early in the morning people will be tired and taking naps."

"Well here goes." I grabbed Jonathan's hand and felt his ring. A wedding ring. Maybe he was sweating for the same reason I was and not because of the mission.

**4**

The plane finally landed in China. Phillip and Terry, being in morphs, could thought speak to us. They sat in the same row as Erik so he could tell us the upcoming plans. "We get out of the airport, get a cab, and go to the hotel. Just don't get lost."

"Seems easy."

"Then why am I so worried?"

The hotel was small and our room even smaller. I saw a map on the wall. "Wow. It is bigger than I thought." The map showed the desert went up in to Mongolia. "How are we searching all of this?"

"I don't know. Do we have any animals best for this? Birds?"

"Plenty of heat coming off of the sand so we could catch plenty of thermals. But I don't know if we can stay our there for long with out water. And at night the desert will get really cold."

"Sounds harsh. So we'll be staying here?" He looked over at the small bed barely big enough for one. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"I wonder how the others are doing." The floor didn't look comfortable but I wasn't sure both of us in the bed would be any more comfortable. It was small. Yes, a small bed being uncomfortable for two people is a perfectly good reason for him to sleep on the floor.

"We meet with Rachel, er, Rebecca. This is going to be weird. I kept telling myself the new names over and over. Rebecca, Cassandra, Jonathan, Terry, Tolbert, Markus, and Phillip. Gotta remember."

"At least they picked names close to what our real ones are."

"Yeah. We meet her and Terry tonight for dinner. Erik is getting us walkie talkies so we can keep in contact with each other."

"Can't be hanging out with every one. This is so strange."

"Strange nation and on top of it aliens. Why do the aliens seem less strange?" His laugh didn't make me feel any better.

"Because we are weird."

That night we met with Rebecca and Terry. "I wonder what kind of meet they use." Rachel points at a picture. "Any idea what that is?" She shows Terry.

"Cat. You can tell by the, uh, I'm gonna stop."

"I did see some large cow things."

"Yaks. Those were Yaks. But they use them for milk not meat." And they didn't have any vegetarian dishes. I could pick around the meat, maybe. "How do we order?" Terry tapped his head.

"Erik is near by with Phillip. We point at what we want and he tells Phillip the English translation and he tells me and then I tell you." I point at my menu. "Salted Duck Egg with vegetables." I could eat egg if I really tried. Being a vegetarian is hard some times but now that I'm in a different nation I couldn't really be picky. Bleh.

As we ate we talked about what to do with Terry telling Phillip who would tell the others later. "I wouldn't try any night flying."

"Wouldn't that help though? Any lights off in the distance could be a big clue."

"Jake, who flies the most? Even as owls I wouldn't want to try flying at night around here. We could get lost easily."

"Ok so day time. Does your room have a map?" He nods. "We can try using them to mark where we've looked and where we haven't so we don't go over the same areas again." I leaned in and whispered.

"The desert is massive. But there might be places where they can't build. The map didn't show any villages or travel routes. I know people live in the desert. I saw it on National Geographic."

"They could all be Controllers keeping an eye out for us. We must check every where. But be careful. We'll work in pairs. Phillip and Markus will have Tolbert. No demorphing with out the other looking out for you."

"For how long?"

"We wake up, eat, fly, come back, eat, go to bed. Tobias is that possible? Or should we come back and eat lunch?"

"I'll need to eat as a hawk. It is my normal body and eating while human does carry over but not enough. Ax, Phillip explained it before but if you want zero space talk I'm not up for it right now."

"I can carry a small bit of meat since my morph is the largest."

"We'll need more than that. And Phillip can't exactly eat the sand."

"This whole thing is turning in to a bigger and bigger mess." What would we do? "Jake I don't know what we can do. We need to search but we can't go that far unless we find a way we can carry some food." Terry raises his hand. "What?"

"Shh, Erik." We waited. "Erik can carry food. He can carry a Yak as long as one of us can butcher it."

"Uh, that won't be needed. But ok so food is taken care of. This is all last minute if we had more time we'd be more prepared." I put my hand under the table and found his.

"They didn't exactly give us a choice did they? If Tobias wasn't sleeping, I mean Terry, wasn't sleeping as a hawk I don't know how we'd sleep. They couldn't have found a better hotel?"

"I'm sleeping on the floor." Terry made a face.

"I wouldn't eat off that floor and I've eaten roadkill by the side of the road." We let out a laugh then looked down at our food.

"Are we sure this isn't the same thing?" I poked at mine. "I've never had salted duck egg." I took a bite. "And I never will again when we get home." I was hungry and this was what I ordered. Never again.

I changed in the bathroom then stepped out and saw Jonathan was already changed and has the sheet and a pillow on the floor. "Terry's right that floor does look disgusting." I stepped over him and got on the bed.

"Yeah but that bed is way too small." I reached over and turned the light off. "Goodnight Cassie. I mean, well, we're alone. Goodnight Cassie."

"Goodnight Jake." Jake, Jonathan, this is confusing. I've been writing as much as I could get down since the beginning of this war and have kept certain things out like our last names and where we lived. But this whole different name thing is more confusing then changing conversations when I had to. Screw it Jake is Jake and Marco is Marco and I'm Cassie.

**5**

Taking a shower that morning was different. The water flow was weak, the hot water disappeared in a few minutes, and Jake was just outside the bathroom. When we first started morphing we had problems morphing clothes. That was embarrassing. This was... Different. I got dressed and stepped out. "Um, there is no hot water. It died after a couple minutes."

"Just like when I'd wake up late. No problem." He went in and soon I heard the water running. He was in there washing up. I should stop thinking about it.

We took a cab and had it take us to where tourists normally went. We skipped the camel tour and went off on our own.

We were met by the others about an hour later. "Ok. Ax, Marco, and Tom go east then loop north. Rachel and Tobias go west then loop north. Cassie and I will go straight north."

"How are you guys keeping time with out Ax?" Jake pulled out two watches.

"Cassie's Osprey can carry one and Rachel's Bald Eagle can carry another."

"Well this should be fun. Any one know the temps for today? Should I bring sunscreen?" We didn't laugh. "Should I try a knock knock joke?" Erik started laughing. "What? I didn't tell the joke yet."

"Back during the time we were building the pyramids one of the workers heard a knocking noise. I said who's there? He replied the ghost of the former Pharaoh mad that the new one was getting a bigger pyramid. It may have been the first knock knock joke ever."

"And they haven't gotten any better since." We got down to our morphing clothes then morphed in to birds.

Osprey are pretty good gliders. But I saw another bird that would beat me every time. One that had an amazing sense of smell. Some thing that the Yeerks couldn't cover with a hologram. A Bearded Vulture. (Jake I have an idea.)

(Yes?)

(What animal has the best sense of smell?)

(Uh, a dog? Wolf?)

(No. A vulture.)

(Are you sure?)

(I read it in a book. Maybe it was best bird not animal but I know a vulture has to smell dead flesh from miles away. The scent of the Hork Bajir facility could spread for miles. Even if they used holograms that could fool our eyes they couldn't fool our smell.)

(So we take one down and acquire it? I could gain some height and knock one down.)

(Try not to kill it.)

I watched him gain some air. A Peregrine Falcon is small so the thermals weren't as much of a help for him. (Jake you should morph it. I can morph a Hork Bajir so you can gain my smell and the vulture will be a much better glider.)

(First I need to take out the vulture.) He started his dive.

If you never saw a Peregrine Falcon dive it is an amazing thing. The fastest animal in the world. Or was that bird? When you spend as much time reading about animals as I have some times it runs together.

He hit the vulture on the left wing. The vulture rolled in the air and started falling. But before it hit the sand it started recovering. I started my own dive. I wasn't as fast as he was but the vulture was already hurt. The watch was throwing me off so I let it go we could find it in the sand later.

The vulture had almost fully recovered when I hit the same wing. I aimed for the feathers but caught part of the side and a talon ripped it open. Jake was already on the ground demorphing. (Sorry! If you get it quick enough you should still be able to acquire it.)

He couldn't respond since he was now in human form. I looked for the watch as he acquired the vulture. It didn't take long with my bird of prey eyes. We still had another half hour but I was demorphing any ways so I could morph a Hork Bajir.

The desert sand was hot on my feet. "Did you get it?"

"Yeah. I broke its neck after. I couldn't let it suffer any more."

"I didn't mean to. The watch threw me off so I dropped it but I couldn't correct in time."

"So ready?" I saw him almost running in place.

"The sand that much hotter over there?"

"I guess. I can't believe you can just stand there this sand is roasting my feet."

"I guess I'm just tougher then you are." I started morphing the Hork Bajir as I laughed.

My Hork Bajir feet barely felt the burn of the hot sand. (Get a good whiff?)

(Yeah.) He sniffs my shins. (I think if I smelled it again I could figure out where it was coming from.) He spreads his wings and takes off.

I had to demorph then remorph. One of the few weaknesses of morphing was we couldn't go from one morph to another directly.

By the time I was back up in the air he was about half a mile away. Thankfully my eyes easily found him.

We landed again when we were almost at the two hour limit. "I know where Erik is. I can small the rice he is carrying."

"We have half an hour before we're meeting the others for lunch."

"We can search for a few more minutes but I am getting hungry. A vulture doesn't care for it but the rice is about the only thing I've seen since we've landed that looked edible."

"Don't try the duck egg. Horrible." We start morphing again.

We landed near Erik and demorphed. All the morphing I was doing was wearing me out and lunch sounded better than usual. Even better Erik brought some blankets we could sit on so we'd be off the sand while we ate.

Marco was the first one to speak. "So far I've seen sand, more sand, and some tourists."

"The one couple looked like they were having fun." Marco and Tom shared a laugh.

"Ax?"

"They were in the middle of what Marco explained was a sort of human mating ritual Prince Jake."

"Don't call me Prince and Marco we are on a mission maybe focus on that and not what ever some tourists are doing." This time Marco replied with Ax's usual line.

"Yes Prince Jake."

"We found the same thing. Sand. What if the Yeerks are using cloaking devices like they did at the world leaders meeting?"

"Cassie thought of that. She told me vultures have really great senses of smell. So we took one down and I acquired it. It was how I found Erik so easily."

"I smell?"

"No but the food did. We'll keep going until five and then turn back. Tobias do you know if vultures are good at soaring at night? Don't need your vision just smell."

"I never saw any at night. Cassie?"

"Don't know they didn't say in the book I was reading." Or did it? It was awhile ago. "Maybe they have a library here."

"They do." Erik tapped his head. "What am I looking for?"

"Information on vultures. Bearded Vultures live around here and I'm pretty sure that is the kind Jake acquired."

"One second." Normally that was just a saying. With Erik I don't even think it was a second. "No. Vultures rely mostly on thermals so they don't fly at night. And no owl has any great sense of smell either. So it looks like you'll be sleeping at night."

"Great. Tonight you sleep on the floor Tom."

"I'm older and bigger."

"I'm a veteran of this war and we agreed you'd get the bed one night and I'd get it the next."

"Why not just share the bed? Or is this a human custom of one person for one bed? I saw on television people stay in bed together."

"Ax this is different. The people on TV are couples. Like Jake and Cassie."

"So they share a bed but you must change who has it?" I nearly choked on my rice.

"I, we, he slept on the floor."

"Why? Temptation too great? After all you two are on your Honeymoon." Marco looked at my hand. "Even if you don't wear your rings all the time."

"We, this isn't a Honeymoon this is a mission. And those beds are too small for two people."

"No one is using the one in our room. Ax sleeps on the floor and I stand in the corner."

"Dibs!" Marco spit food all over the blanket.

"Nice Marco."

"Oh you and Bird Boy aren't sharing a bed?"

(I sleep as a hawk.)

"Wow. The four of you are on Honeymoons and nothing? I'm a little disappointed in you Big Jake."

"We're on a mission. We are a bunch of teens, an alien, a bird, and a super advanced robot in the middle of the Gobi desert looking for a place the Yeerks are force breeding Hork Bajir. Just because you aren't focused doesn't mean I'm not."

"Hey I had too leave Melissa behind. If I was on my Honeymoon it would be so much better. Demorphing on the sand sucks."

(The sand is insufficient for me as well.) Ax was trying to step on the grass Erik had brought for him.

"Finish up so we can get back to searching." I saw Jake try shoveling the rice with his chopsticks but he spilled some.

"Try morphing in to a pig before you do that." The others laughed as Jake cleaned up his face.

**6**

We searched for two days and found nothing. I was getting sick of rice and stir fry vegetables. I was also missing my family, my animals, my bed. "Jake are you sure? Switch with Marco for a night in Erik's room or I'll sleep on the floor."

"No I'm fine. It isn't as bad as it looks."

"It is worse. The Chee packed us enough clothes for six days. Tomorrow I'm out of fresh clothes. Which is strange because I only wear them at night for dinner and in the morning for breakfast. The rest of the time I'm wearing my sleep stuff."

"Maybe Erik can find a cleaners. Or a river to do it the hard way while we search."

"We make Erik do all the work."

"They owe us. I've kept the Pemalite Crystal safe for them."

"You lost it in the ocean on purpose so no one could find it."

"I went and found it again. I couldn't risk Rachel finding it."

"When did you do this?"

"I wanted to give Tom experience with a dolphin."

"You got him a dolphin morph with out me?"

"I didn't think it would be that big a deal. We found it and I hid it at the Hork Bajir colony. Well, I had Toby hide it so I wouldn't know the exact whereabouts. I told her hide it some place that even if the Yeerks got me they wouldn't find it."

"That's good but you should have told us."

"And if Rachel found out? She'd be tearing the Hork Bajir colony apart. What if the Chee helping with hiding the colony thinks he should be more involved? He could spend every minute looking for it."

"Well, ok, but you could have told me."

"The fewer who know the better. I get caught or now you get caught it gives them an idea of where to look or who they should grab. If Toby gets caught now she would be forced to tell them."

"The Pemalite Crystal would give them a huge advantage. I don't know for sure but the way Ax talks about it the Yeerk Empire steals technology. So they might be advanced in our eyes compared to the Andalite Fleet they aren't."

"Probably why they never flat out attacked the Andalite homeworld."

"But if they get the Pemalite Crystal that all changes. I won't tell any one else."

"Good." We stood together a couple feet apart. In our room barely lit by the lamp. In our sleepwear.

"Uh, goodnight." I went to my bed with thoughts racing through my head.

The next day we flew as hard and fast as we could north. We had covered miles of desert but there were hundreds if not thousands of square miles to go. (Jake can you smell any thing?)

(The same as yesterday. Sand, a few dead animals, and a few birds not native around here.)

(Would I be Marco if I asked again in a minute? And the next?)

(No. I'll tell you if I smell any thing that smells like Hork Bajir. The faster the better.) I flew up a little higher. I could only see more sand.

After lunch we were back up in the air. (I smell some thing.)

(Hork Bajir?)

(No. Humans.) I turned to my left and saw smoke.

(A village.)

(They're burning some thing strong. The wind just changed and started blowing it this way.)

(Any idea?)

(No but it is strong. Overwhelming. I think I'm changing morphs.)

(Ok I'll watch out for others.) I scanned the area, did a couple circles, and found no one. (You're safe.)

We flew closer to the village after he had changed morphs. (I'm not seeing any thing strange.)

(What are they burning? Think we could ask?)

(I doubt it Jake. They probably don't speak English.)

(Neither does Ax but he speaks it. Does it work the same for us?)

(He has an implant if I remember right. That way all of his thought speak translates in to a language the person he's speaking with can understand. Or was that a Star Trek episode?)

(Probably both. We should ask him later.)

We circled the village a couple of times but I couldn't see what they were burning. (Cassie to the left of the red roof is that person wearing a watch?) I looked for the person he was talking about.

(Yes)

(Doesn't it look extra fancy? I think I've seen a doctor my dad works with wearing the same one.) I flew down lower and landed on a window sill.

(And he is really white.) Jake landed on a window below me.

(That is him. What is he doing here?)

(Jake, he's a Controller. I wonder how smelly a Hork Bajir breeding facility is. Maybe that's why they're burning that stuff.)

(And it is underground but they must be pumping oxygen down in there and the stale air back out. That would be a way down.) I flew up to a different roof. (I don't see where an entrance could be.)

(Keep looking. When we go back and meet the others tonight we'll tell them about this.)

(If all of us look at the same time won't it look weird? A bunch of American birds flying around.)

(So all of us get vultures? Except they didn't have any where near as good of eye sight.)

(Erik. He can help us sneak around. I hate using the Chee but this is safer.)

(Why?)

(Well we can use his holograms or he can go in and find it himself.)

(No, I meant why do you hate using the Chee? They're there for us too use. They can't fight but we can. We can't throw up holograms but they can. They use us for our powers we use them for what they can do.)

(Yes but they're peaceful beings. They shouldn't be involved in any war. How many thousands of years have they been here? How many wars have they avoided?)

(How many involved aliens invading? Cassie I'm sorry you feel bad or what ever about it but the Chee have powers we can use and I'll be using them as much as I can. If there wasn't a war going on sure leave them be but we are fighting for Earth's freedom I can't turn down help.)

(I know. I just wish there was another way some times.)

(Don't wish. The last time Rachel made one she ended up corrupting the Chee and killed me so she could change what she did.)

(I would never make a deal with Crayak.)

(Maybe. I would like too think that way but what if some thing happened that left me no choice? Kind of like what Rachel did about her family. Since my family wasn't being targeted for infestation I could say I wouldn't kill humans. But if I saw them outside my house planning on infesting them? I might do what she did.)

(Same here. Especially since my mom knows our secret now. I wouldn't have a choice.) I saw the time on the watch of the Controller we spotted earlier. (We have twenty minutes.)

(We can head back to the hotel a little early. Now that we know where the entrance is or at least a good idea where it is we can stop searching.) We took off from the village.

That night we sat down with Tobias and Rachel. "We found it."

"You did? Where?"

"A village. I spotted some one my father works with. Why else would he be here? And they're burning some thing foul. I think it is covering up the smell of what ever they're doing underground. Tobias we're thinking Eric can go in using a hologram so no one sees him and find the entrance and check for security." We stare at him and wait for a response. I wonder what it was like using thought speak while a human. For him it was a morph so he could do it. I would have to morph Rachel or some one else if I wanted too use it while a human.

"He says he can do it. Maybe we could go out and do tourist stuff and not just pretend we are." That would be weird. Doing tourist stuff and not searching for aliens would be the weird part of this trip.

**7**

That morning I took my shower and got dressed. "Jake what are you doing?" He had a walkie talkie that Erik had brought.

"I tried contacting Rachel and Tobias but they aren't answering."

"So go down to their room and check on them. I need to fix my hair still."

"Ok, I'll be back in a minute." I had to back in to the bathroom so he could get around me the room was so small.

I pulled the brush through my hair. I didn't have my usual shampoo or brushes. I didn't do much with my hair but it did need some care.

I was still dealing with it when Jake got back. "What's wrong?" He was red in the face.

"Uh, they'll be ready in a few minutes." He went to the bathroom and splashed water on his face.

"Are you sick?"

"No, not sick. Uh, if you go down there and knock and they don't answer don't go in." He grabbed the walkie talkie. "And make sure this stays on." He sat down on the bed. "Uh, we have a few minutes." I sat down next too him.

"Um, yeah, I guess." A few minutes alone in our hotel room. "How long do you think it will take Erik?"

"Let's not talk about that. Today we are just tourists not Animorphs." He put his hand on mine. He leaned in and kissed me. I kissed him back.

When there was a knock on the door we pulled back from each other. "Who is it?"

"Hope we're not interrupting any thing."

"Uh, no." I looked at the clock. Had that much time passed? Had we, kissed, that long? "One minute." Good thing they didn't open the door.

We met up with Rachel and Tobias outside of the hotel. "Now what? We haven't really planned for doing actual tourist stuff."

"What would two newly married couples do in this place?" Tobias looked through a window. "Huh. Rat doesn't look so appealing through the eyes of a human."

"I'm not doing any desert tours. I've had enough of the sand and heat. Do they have any swimming pools?" Rachel staid near a terrace hiding in the shade.

"I don't remember any swim wear in my suitcase." I hadn't really looked in the area what they might have. Would they have a zoo with animals from America instead of Pandas or Tigers? "Maybe check out a zoo?"

"They don't have any. They did have a small museum to the Khans that might be cool."

"How do you know that?"

"When I was hunting I looked around the city Cassie. Also don't eat at any restaurant outside the immediate tourist area."

"Why?"

"Jake you know how that one restaurant back home got shut down because they found an old rats nest?"

"Yeah. Marco loved going there."

"The places around here serve the rats they catch. Just the ones they catch. The rest make a nice home in the kitchen." We all made faces of disgust. "At least in the tourist areas they try keeping the rats out. And some times they actually do."

"Tobias please stop talking. We have too eat around here." I hope I didn't get sick from some rat disease. I like animals don't get me wrong but rats are not my favorite.

The Khan museum was pretty cool. They had English translations so we knew what was what. They had old weapons and clothing and other cool stuff.

But the coolest part was a giant mural covering the entire back wall with a time line. From the birth of the first Khan to the downfall of the empire. The mural showed battles in really good detail. Rachel was getting a little too interested. "Hey just like when we attacked the Kandrona the first time and I lost an arm." I looked at where she was pointing.

"I wonder how effective their bears were." Poor things. Humans could be so cruel. "At least they gave some of them armor." If this mural was accurate.

"I wonder if I could get some bear armor fitted for me. Have Marco put it on me when he was a gorilla. Except I doubt it would deflect a Dracon Beam."

When we were done it was almost lunch time. "I guess we should go and get food. I forgot Erik wouldn't be getting us..." I saw him. The man Jake said was a doctor back home. And he saw us.

"Jake? What are you doing here? You can't be here." Oh crap oh crap we were dead.

"Huh? Who are you and who is Jake?" He pulled me closer. "I'm Jonathan and this is my wife Cassandra."

"No, and you're Rachel, Steve's niece."

"I, I'm Rebecca. I'm from England." Her British accent was horrible.

"I knew it. I saw two American birds yesterday. The rumors, the theories, why Tom was targeted. You're the Andalite Bandits! We tried telling Visser Three but he wouldn't listen." He grabbed Jake by the arm. "But I know it was you. One of those birds I saw yesterday."

"Hands off." I stomp on his foot.

Jake pushes him to the ground. "I don't know who you think we are but you're crazy."

"I'm not crazy. We have a whole base of Controllers I'll have on this city in a few minutes."

"No, you won't." I saw Rachel start growing larger. Brown fur started spurting from her skin.

"Rachel don't."

(I'll do what must be done. Or should we let him tell the other Yeerks who and what we are? And then let a Yeerk army come down on this town and kill every one?)

"Run. She'll kill you." Tobias started demorphing. "And if she loses you I'll make sure she fi-" his lips melded in to a beak.

"Don't do this. We can capture him and hold him."

(And they won't look for him? He's dead.)

"I'll turn you all in and be made a Sub Visser!" He starts getting off the ground but Rachel pounced on him even before she was fully morphed. "Get off of me!"

"Rachel stop!" I try pushing her off but she was already too large and heavy. "No!" She knocked me down when she raised her right paw. "Jake make her stop!"

"Rachel stop while you still can." She struck the Controller. "Rachel he's out. We can hold him now and wait three days. Erik can cover for us."

(We can't force him to tell us where the entrance is or what his part in all of it is.) She raised her paw again.

"Stop!" I wrapped my arms around her arm. She was stronger then I could ever be but I wasn't trying too use my strength I was hoping she would care more about me then killing this Controller.

(Let go of me Cassie. You can't stop me.)

"You'll hurt me if you swing."

(Then I won't swing.) She lowered her head and bit his throat.

"No!" I pulled on her arm and she shoved me down.

(Now we're safe.)

"Rachel if you're done we must get his body out of here before any one sees us."

"You can do it on your own." I took off for the hotel.

**8**

I waited in the room for Jake too get back. What else could I do? Back home I would work in the barn or go flying. But this wasn't home. This was thousands of miles from home. My best friend had just killed a human. We could have captured him but she killed him. He could have told us so much. Even if we waited for the Yeerk too die first the man who was controlled could have told us once he was free.

And she wouldn't be punished. How could we? We needed her. Marco would probably agree with what she did. Tobias would defend her. Ax would probably say it was part of war. Tom... I didn't know him well enough. I just hope Jake is on my side.

When he got back he had some blood on him. "Sorry we were almost caught by a couple locals."

"Where? Where did you put him?"

"Rachel and Tobias took care of it. I came back here so I could check on you."

"I'm here. Nothing else I can do. We can't do any thing now. He's dead."

"There is. He, he didn't, if you staid you would have seen the Yeerk crawl out of his head."

"So?" He sat down on the bed next too me.

"So he was alive long enough that he gave us any information he could. It wasn't much but I also asked if I could acquire him." Jake put an arm around my shoulders. "He said yes and hoped we could stop them."

"And then he died. Oh sorry I should just forget what happened."

"No. She was a bear we couldn't stop her unless we had morphed and by then if he had told any one else we'd be dead." I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I know. But she shouldn't have done it."

"We could have captured him and held him. Even if the Yeerk didn't talk he would have. But Rachel didn't give us a choice."

"And she'll get away with it." I hugged him. "We might have done it by accident or when you lost control of the Howler but we never did it on purpose. She didn't think and when we told her another option she ignored us."

"Like you said she'll get away with it. We can't suspend her or expel her or fine her. In the military she could be court martialed. We can't exactly throw her in the brig." His laugh made me feel a little better.

"No one could throw us in prison with out a force field sealing off all the exits."

"And who would throw a tiger in prison in the first place? Or a wolf?" He squeezed my shoulder with his hand and held me closer. "Maybe after the war we could do some thing but right now we need her."

"What if she keeps doing it? Jake she's losing it. The war has been hard on all of us but she is losing control."

"Crayak. Ever since she saw the war won in a world made by Crayak she has gotten more and more violent. I don't know if he did some thing to her or just seeing a world where the Yeerks lost changed her mind. She killed me in that world."

"And she didn't know for sure it would fix things. If she came after you in this world what would you do?"

"Run, hide, fight. In that order." We lied back on the bed. "And hope I could find you or Marco or some one who could help me stop her long enough to find out why she was doing it."

"And then what? Tell her she was a bad girl and send her to her room? She needs help. Serious psychological help."

"We all do."

"Yeah. I wonder if the Chee have any shrinks?" I snuggled up against him. We both had a stressful morning and it had been hard sleeping at night with every thing hanging over us. "Normally I would be joking but that might be a good idea."

"Especially for her. No, for all of us. Marco dealing with his mom or you balancing being caught in a war and killing when you won't even eat meat. Tobias being stuck as a hawk but he seems too like it more then being human."

"And you. Almost killing your brother and then saving him by faking his death. And your brother probably needs help. He spends years as a slave and now lives with the Hork Bajir. His parents are alive but he can't see them because they think he is dead."

"We all need help. I wonder if the Chee have multiple shrinks." He brushed my hair with his hand. "I'll ask Erik tonight. As soon as we get back Rachel should start seeing some one. If we can't trust her and she goes off the deep end we don't need another David."

"She won't turn in to David." She would be worse. "Let's forget about it." I closed my eyes and buried my face in to his chest. "Can we just forget this morning happened?"

"Every thing after we left the hotel until right now." He kissed my forehead then held me closer. "This bed is a lot better than the floor."

We woke up when some one knocked on the door. "Who is it?"

"Erik's back." Tobias. Where was Rachel?

"Is Rachel there?"

"She's back at the room. Erik is waiting for us out in the desert near the camel tours. Meet us there before night fall." I looked at the clock.

"We have a couple hours."

"We might as well go now." I put my arm on him holding him down.

"Or in a few minutes." I put my head on his chest so I could hear his heart beat. "Some times I wonder if you just like me after a big mission."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm stupid some times. After a big mission you kiss me and hug me. The rest of the time we might hold hands but we hardly ever do any thing else. This trip, this morning, was the first time we'd really kissed. Not just for the trip but like really kissed, and stuff."

"Cassie I like you even when it isn't before a big mission." He kissed me lightly on the lips. "But we have too go meet up with Erik. Maybe tonight we could talk and stuff."

"Stuff. Ok." We got off the bed and left the room.

**9**

We met Erik and the others in the desert. "Tobias told me about what happened this morning. You have his DNA Jake?"

"Yes."

"Good. He is a lead member of the project. His medical experience helps with the mutations."

"Mutations? I'm guessing you don't mean wall crawling and web shooting."

"No Marco. Extra limbs, no eyes, that kind. The forced breeding leads to DNA damage. The Yeerks are actually working with the mutations hoping they can breed new Hork Bajir with extra arms and blades."

"And the stuff they're burning?"

"The Hork Bajir rejects and other things. But the entrance is wide open. They're thousands of miles away from those pesky Andalite Bandits. The entire village is under Yeerk control. They have a small Yeerk Pool and a Kandrona running at the base."

(And you found all of this in less then a day?)

"Yes. Unlike morphing I can become completely invisible. I can hack any thing the Yeerks have and go through security." His smirk annoyed Ax. An Andalite face doesn't show much but if you hung with them long enough you pick up on the subtle changes. "But I could only find what was on the computers and what was being discussed."

"If we had kept him alive and gotten the Yeerk out of his head we could find out every thing." I looked over at Rachel who was glaring back at me. "So what do we do now?"

"I morph him and go in with all of you on me as flies or fleas. I find a bathroom and you all demorph then uh, Erik are there any Hork Bajir walking around freely?"

"Controller Hork Bajir yes. The ones kept for breeding are in different chambers."

"So I get every one in as fleas while I'm human and then you all demorph in the bathroom and then morph Hork Bajir."

"I'll follow and try and shut down the defenses. They are using actual manual locks on the breeding pens so I can't just unlock them all from one computer." I thought that was strange and thankfully so did every one else.

"Why?"

"Because they did Jake. If you want a theory I'm guessing they were worried about Andalite Bandits hacking the computers and unleashing dozens of pissed of Hork Bajir."

"They aren't infested?" If we unleashed them they could help us.

"The Yeerks have found the process unpleasant. Why you don't see human hosts with new children. They find the act disgusting."

"So some slugs think that is disgusting but not crawling in through some one's ear and taking over? I wonder what they think of what we've been eating here. Because that my friends is disgusting."

"Marco if we release them they'll help us. I think that is our main goal. We open the gates for them and they help us tear the place down."

"And then what? We can't get them plane tickets back home to the Hork Bajir colony. Just a few dozen Hork Bajir, first class, no baggage." I didn't like Rachel's tone.

"We make one here."

"The Ellimist made the last one. Have him on speed dial? Or maybe I should try Crayak. I wonder what he'd want in return." I clenched my right hand in to a fist when she looked over at Jake.

"We have help. Erik?"

"Well I could help but China has a strict government. You can't just build some thing with out them noticing."

"Then how did the Yeerks build the breeding facility?" I had barely asked the question when I realized the answer. "They have infected a lot of powerful people here."

"Yes."

"And a desert isn't their native land either. They need forest."

(I am not familiar with this area but while on the plane over here I remember seeing forests east and south of here.)

"Yeah I remember them too but there are tigers and hunters. It isn't like home where you have the valley the Ellimist made."

"Siberia has forests. But also freezing cold weather. Can we buy them a bunch of sweaters and snow shoes?"

"I doubt it Marco. We didn't think about this. I thought they'd all be Controllers. We would just blow the place up or some thing." I got closer to Jake and put my hand on his.

"The Hork Bajir are smart enough too hide but they aren't exactly Copernicus. I could get some friends over here and we could cover them but we can't fly them on a plane." I was lost but Tobias had a great idea.

"Steal a couple Bug Fighters and fly them out. If they don't have any at the base have the Chee commandeer a couple and get them out here."

"Brilliant. Can the Chee steal enough though? Or would that violate some rule they have?"

"It isn't a rule it is programming and for good reason. But no we can steal Bug Fighters as long as we aren't hurting or killing any one while we do it."

"So we wait until the Bug Fighters are here then go in get them out. Erik can you go in and tell the Hork Bajir what we are planning? So they don't think the Bug Fighters are there for attacking them?" Erik nodded. "Good."

"Is that it? Can we go now?"

"Rachel what is your problem? You killed some one today and you act like we're the ones who did some thing wrong." She gets up and gets in my face.

"Because he would have gotten us all killed. Oh capture him? Leave him where? If you hadn't noticed we have some one come in and clean our room every day. We don't have choices like we do at home."

"It wasn't right we could have hidden him somewhere else!"

"And waited three days? Like the Yeerks wouldn't get suspicious. I think we should go right now and tear the house down."

"And what about the free Hork Bajir?"

"Tell them to go east or south and hide in the forests there. If they get caught by the Chinese government then great they can't hide aliens being here any more."

"Except we know the Yeerks have infiltrated the government. Rachel we can get them to the Hork Bajir colony back home and have dozens more free."

"Which makes it more likely it will be found. All you need is one lost hiker and suddenly dozens if not hundreds of people will be scouring the area."

"We could help. Use bird of prey vision or wolf smell. Find them before any one finds the colony."

"Or move them some where else. South America has trees and hell they have tribes that have had no contact with the outside world. Put the Hork Bajir there."

"That's not a bad idea but only the ones here. That way we have two colonies in case one is found we'd still have free Hork Bajir." Jake finally pushes us apart.

"You two can fight it out when we're home. As long as we're here we're on a mission and we will focus on that."

"Like you'd let us fight after." I saw it for a second. A tear in her eye.

"Let it go Jake. She won't fight any of us."

"We have bigger things." And it was gone. "I'm going back to our room. Let me know when the Chee get here."

"It won't be long. Get some sleep now because they could be here by tomorrow morning." Rachel started morphing.

"We were taking a nap before you got us so we're not tired. Erik any chance of getting us getting some food that is clean? And vegetarian for Cassie."

"I've been getting it and I can get more. Your room?"

"I guess. Cassie?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Yeah, our room sounds good."

"Meet you there in an hour." The rest of us got up and left.

Back the hotel I told Jake what I saw with Rachel. "When Erik gets here we'll ask him to get her help." He hugged me. "But what if she doesn't want it? We can't make her."

"She will. I know it. She's crying for help she just won't show it." He kissed me.

"See? Not before a big mission, not after a mission, just because." I laughed a little.

"Like I said it was just stupid thoughts."

**10**

That morning Erik woke us all up letting us know the Chee were ready. "Any point in taking a shower? We'll be morphing soon." I looked in the mirror. "My hair is a mess. No one will see it." Except for Jake. I guess I did need a shower.

We ate and left for the desert. Erik was there with a Bug Fighter. "We'll fly in with all of you as fleas on Jake. He goes in and you all demorph and then remorph Hork Bajir. Then go to the pens and unlock them. The Hork Bajir there will attack on the code word _Garresh_. Get them outside and we'll get them on the Bug Fighters and use our holograms too keep them hidden."

"And then dodge lasers and Hork Bajir Controllers and Taxxon and ninjas and what ever else they throw at us. What do you guys think?" Marco looked from one to the other.

"Let's do it."

"I'm ready. This will be the first real mission I've been on. I've been stuck sneaking and peeking around and haven't had any real action." At least Tom was enthusiastic.

(If they do not see any animals or myself then the Yeerks would not suspect us. We must make sure they only see Hork Bajir.)

"Why we're going Hork Bajir Ax." I felt Jake's hand on mine. "If every one is ready then we better hurry. The longer we wait the more chance they have of finding some thing out."

Morphing a flea was easy. Landing on Jake was a little harder. A flea can't really control where they land. They just leap in the air and hope they land near where they aimed. I finally found what I think was his hand. (Is every one on?) I bit him. (Ok starting too itch in six places so you must all be on.)

I couldn't see any thing past a few inches. I couldn't tell when we were on the Bug Fighter or going through the entrance of the facility or when we were in the bathroom. (Ok every one demorph.) I leapt off of Jake and started demorphing before I hit the floor.

The bathroom was big enough for a few people and one Andalite but soon we would be a few Hork Bajir. "Don't poke an eye out or no one will be having fun."

"Very funny Marco." I focused on a Hork Bajir. The blades, the talons, the tail, and the over all build. I started getting taller first. Blades soon appeared on my arms. I saw the others morph beside me.

Tom accidentally broke a sink when one leg grew before the other and he fell over. Water started pouring out of some pipes. (Every one get ready!) Jake reached for the door.

He peeked out first. (Go for the pens and get those Hork Bajir ready.) He hurried out and we followed him.

They didn't give us a second look. We were just walking around like we belonged. After a couple minutes we heard some shouts about a flooding bathroom. (Don't react. Hork Bajir wouldn't care.)

(Where do Hork Bajir go? Tom?)

(In the woods Marco. Like a bear.) The two of them laughed in our minds. It was nice having the two try and lighten the mood. We were deep in enemy territory and I was really nervous.

We entered the breeding area. They were lightly guarded. They weren't worried about us Andalite Bandits. "What are you doing in here? Moving some of the stock?" Oh crap what would we do?

Tom stepped forward and spoke a language I heard the Hork Bajir speak before. "Oh well we didn't get any orders." Tom got closer then struck the nearest guard and grabbed his Dracon Beam. He pointed it at the two other guards.

"Crap." They both raised their hands. "Releasing them? What, because your host makes you feel sympathy." I'm guessing what ever Tom said was yes. "Pathetic. More and more of you keep doing this. You should all go back to the pool."

(Set it to stun.)

(Sure lil brother.) He fired it and took the remaining guards out.

We walked from door to door and undid the locks. Tom shouted "Garresh!" The doors opened and about forty Hork Bajir poured out. He kept talking too them in the alien language used before.

(Tom?)

(They're ready for a fight.)

(We aren't looking for one.)

(I told them there were ships waiting for them outside. They said no this place must burn.)

(Any idea of how we could do that?)

(Uh, no. But they won't just run away.)

(I like it. We have three Dracon Beams right here.) Rachel picked one up. (There must be more.)

(No. Get the Hork Bajir out of here first. I won't be blasting at other Hork Bajir when I can't tell who is free and who isn't. In the chaos of them escaping we can grab more and then shoot this place up.)

(Got it.) Tom spoke to the Hork Bajir some more. (As long as we promise the death of this place they'll listen.)

(Get them out of here. Rachel, Ax, and Tom will go first with the Dracon Beams and cause as much damage and terror as possible. We'll lead the Hork Bajir to the entrance then double back and help.)

(I should stay with them. I'm the only one who can speak Galard.) Tom hands me the Dracon Beam.

(I guess I'm going with Ax and Rachel.) We walked towards the door. (Be careful every one.) I opened the door.

I aimed at the ceiling and fired. Rock fell down smashing the computers below. "Attack! The Hork Bajir are attacking!" I saw several human Controllers rush toward a small door. It wasn't an exit but a weapon storage cabinet. I aimed and fired at it.

"Kill them! If they release the other Hork Bajir we'll be overrun!"

"Too late!" Another Controller saw the free Hork Bajir pour out of the breeding pens.

"There are more weapons on the level below."

"You have fun grabbing them I'm not sticking around for this." Some Controllers ran for the exit others went for the elevator shafts. I fired at the doors making them bend in so they wouldn't open.

The three of us blasted any thing we could. We had the Yeerks running around in panic. None of them cared about the free Hork Bajir escaping.

I ran outside with a group of free Hork Bajir and saw several vehicles pulling up filled with armed troops. They had human guns so I didn't know if they were Controllers or Chinese military. (Jake we might have a problem!)

(I see them.)

(Any way of knowing who they are?)

(Sure.) He ran towards the group.

"You! Who is responsible for this? The Andalite Bandits?" Some one ran by me, another Hork Bajir, I couldn't tell who it was.

(Jake I got this!) Phew, it was Tom. He spoke to the men. I couldn't understand every thing he said since Galard was mixed with English.

"Some one released them? Why?" Again Tom spoke mixing English with Galard. "Visser Three will have our heads for this."

I went back and saw the Bug Fighters. Most of the free Hork Bajir had gotten on already. (Jake how are we escaping?)

(In the Bug Fighters with the others.)

I ran for a Bug Fighter and got in. Soon it lifted in the air and went above the clouds.

**11**

We were five Bug Fighters high above Earth. The Chee piloted us towards South America. (Guys we have company.) The Chee piloting the Bug Fighter I was in turned on a monitor. Behind us were three more Bug Fighters coming in fast.

(Jake we can take them out. Ax you can control the weapons of your ship right?)

(Yes Tom.)

(Why haven't they fired on us yet?) I kept watching the monitor.

(They may not be sure who we are or what we're doing.) Rachel was probably right.

(So we can take them out before they have a chance. Ok so just take control and fire on them.)

"No Jake."

(What?)

"No. We won't let you have control of the weapons." Oh no the Chee were getting us killed. But it made sense it would violate their programming.

(Stop piloting and let us do it then. If you don't we'll be killed.)

"I could do that."

"As could I."

(I can help too.) A Hork Bajir that must have been Marco walked over to the control Bug Fighter. (Uh, with help.)

(On three turn the ship, aim, and fire. Keep firing until all three enemy ships are destroyed. If that sounds good Jake.)

(Go for it Tom.) I waited watching the screen.

(One.) Our ship slowed. (Two.) I saw March grip the controls tighter. (Three!) Our ship and two others turned and fired on the Bug Fighters behind us. We surprised them and they never had a chance of firing back.

"More are coming."

(Could you guys throw a hologram over the ships so they can't see them?)

"It won't be perfect as we'll be expanding them quite a bit but it should confuse them."

(Then please do it.)

(I hope it works. I doubt they will let us get the drop on them again.) Oh crap this was bad. If it didn't work we'd be shot up with no chance of escape.

"Take us lower. If we're in the atmosphere you have a chance of living if they get a lucky shot." I noticed how he said _you, _not us. The Chee would probably land in the ocean and just walk along the bottom to the nearest shore.

(You can take control back.) Marco backed away from the controls and the Chee took over again.

We were over the Amazon river when we finally landed. I demorphed with the others as we walked off of the Bug Fighters. "Well that was pleasant."

(Yes Marco I found the flight pleasant as well.) Ax was being smug. Out of all the others, except for maybe Rachel, he liked killing the Yeerks.

"Now what?" The Chee were helping the Hork Bajir and talking in a language I couldn't understand. "Do we just let them go?"

"We'll keep a couple Chee here and make sure the Hork Bajir are protected." Erik walked over to a Bug Fighter. "This is your ride home."

"Keep us cloaked and keep us low. I don't feel like another air battle." We all followed Erik back on the Bug Fighter.

As we took off I looked down. There were maybe thirty Hork Bajir in total. We now had a second free colony. We didn't kill that many Controllers either. Except for those on the other Bug Fighters and the doctor Jake knew it was almost blood free. I hate this war and I hate killing and the kind of missions where we get a big payoff with little blood were the best.

We landed in the mountains and got off the Bug Fighter again. "Home sweet home!" Marco kissed the ground. "How I missed burgers and fries."

(The grass is also thicker and more nutritious.) Ax stomped a hoof down on the grass.

"I'll just be happy when I am taking a hot shower and sleeping in my bed." Rachel yawned. "A good long nap." She started morphing her Bald Eagle.

(I must check on my meadow and make sure no one moved in on my territory while I was gone.) Tobias took off.

Soon every one had left except for Jake, Erik, and me. "So about the stuff for Rachel is any one available? Cassie and I are really worried about her."

"Yes. We have taken hundreds of professions over the years. I can talk with one who I think would be perfect for what you want."

"Thank you Erik. We need all the help we can get and not just with fighting." I felt like hugging him but I knew he was an android.

"I understand." I hugged him any ways. "Thank you Cassie." I pulled away.

"For what?"

"You treat me like I'm an equal. You don't care I'm not human."

"Of course not. You're our friend even if it is mostly because we are dealing with an alien invasion." Jake got next to me and grabbed my hand.

"We better get going. I miss hot water and my bed."

"And I miss my animals. I know the Chee replacing me does a great job but I worry about them."

"I'll move this Bug Fighter some where no one will find it. You two stay safe." Jake and I morphed and finally went to our separate homes. Our separate beds.

**12**

Being overseas as long as we were it was weird getting back our rhythm. Going to school studying for end of year exams, taking care of the animals, and other normal things.

I kept thinking of the Hork Bajir in South America. How were they doing? Were they having a bad effect on the environment there? Has any one seen them yet? I hope the Chee will give us updates.

I was cleaning a stall when I heard wings. I looked up and saw a Peregrine Falcon. "Hi Jake." He flew down from the rafters and started demorphing.

When he was done he walked over to me and started kissing me. "What was that for?"

"Nothing." He kissed me again. "I missed you. After spending all that time together the past couple days with out you have sucked."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." I looked down at my clothes. My overalls were stained with mud and other things. My boots were also covered in mud and other stuff. And I am used too the smell of every thing in the barn. "I have some more stuff to do but if you wanna hang out later we can."

"I'll help."

"You don't have to."

"I want to help you out. It means you get done faster and we can go flying faster."

"Ok, thanks." This wasn't weird. This is what was right.

Flying over the city we went near Rachel's house. An older looking woman was leaving and Rachel was behind her. (Uh oh this could be trouble.) I flew lower.

Rachel and the woman got in a car. (Rachel are you in trouble? Nod or shake your head.) She shook her head. (Who is she?) I could see Rachel talking with the woman and the woman changed. She wasn't a woman she was a hologram hiding a Chee underneath. (Oh, ok. Good luck.) I flew back up.

(A Chee? I guess she accepted.)

(I knew she would Jake. I hope it helps her.) We continued flying enjoying the thermals.

**A/N Dang that was a long one. That's what she... Anyways. Go overseas and free some Hork Bajir while they wait for the Alien Energy Scanner to be placed on Earth. I hope you all enjoyed this and will review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Animorphs 35 The Change (Marco)**

**Author James the Lesser**

**I do not own the characters, Applegate and her many Ghost Writers do! ****But I do hope any who read this will enjoy, even if I change things up!**

**Sorry for the long delay between updates!**

**1**

My name is Marco. Just Marco. For any one besides me who might be reading this all you need to know is my first name. Why? Well there are these aliens invading Earth called the Yeerks.

The Yeerks are slugs that crawl in to your brain through your ear canal. They take total control of you. They know every thing you know. You might think you know some one. Your best friend since you were diapers maybe. But a Yeerk knows more.

My mother is one. I didn't even want to be involved in all of this. But then I found out she was one of them. One of them, she is the one. Visser One. For now.

A few weeks ago we killed several members of the Council of Thirteen. Now there was a Civil War between the Yeerks for the open council seats. My mother being Visser One had a large fleet of ships. From what our allies told us she also had several Sub Visser fleets join her. Visser Two and Five had also joined forces to create a fleet almost as powerful as my mother's.

But the one I was worried about? Visser Three. The only Andalite host in the Yeerk Empire. He was leading the invasion of Earth. We hoped his power hungry ego would make him want to go for one of the seats. Instead he was being a good little Yeerk and keeping the invasion of Earth going strong.

My friends and I were all that stood in the way of the Yeerk invasion. We had allies in the Chee. A race of ancient androids who've been here since humans invented the wheel. But they were pacifists. Not sit in a circle until things got real pacifists but real pacifists. They had been programmed to be unable to commit violence.

Jake, my best friend, had called a meeting at the barn. Our friend Cassie was a natural with animals. Her and her father ran the barn for taking care of injured wild animals.

Jake's brother, Tom, had joined our group recently. We had finally freed him but we had to fake his death. He lives at the free Hork Bajir colony now with a few other former hosts we freed.

And then there is Xena. Rachel. One look at her might make you think uppity blonde but she was all warrior. In our little group I think we were the most alike. We both knew this was a war and would have to do things we normally wouldn't do.

But our little group had a few not so human members. Tobias was once human but now he was a red tail hawk. What do I mean? I mean we have a very powerful weapon. We can morph any animal we touch. But we have a two hour time limit. If you stay longer than two hours? You get trapped in that morph. Forever. Unless...

There is the Ellimist. And Crayak. Both are super powerful beings. How powerful? They wiped out entire star systems when they went to war. Now they use pawns. We have been pawns. We were rewarded by the Ellimist though. At least Tobias was. He can morph now and can stay in morph longer than two hours.

The other non human in our group is Ax. An Andalite. The so called good guys in this little war. Except if they decide we're too far gone they'll unleash a virus that will kill every human on Earth.

Jake was the unofficial official leader of the group. He just knew when to take charge. "We all know the alien energy detector is being built but right now it isn't on the planet. I don't want to give the Yeerks a breather and I think I found the next target."

"Not the Yeerk Pool." Gah, that would be even more of a suicidal mission now that they moved the Kandrona down there.

"No." Well there was a relief. "The Hork Bajir have found out that the Yeerks are building another pool only a couple hundred miles north of here."

"So it is a Yeerk Pool."

"Not yet Marco. One of the newly freed Hork Bajir was working on the construction of the pool. It is buried deep in to a mountain."

"So why not steal a Bug Fighter and blast it?" Ah Rachel if only it could be that easy.

"Too deep in to the mountain for that."

(So we are to sneak in to the area while it is being built and attack it while it does not have security Prince Jake?)

"Yes, and don't call me prince."

(Yes Prince Jake.)

"For what? How many are there? How many are human? How do we attack it if there is nothing there to attack?"

"We'll send Tobias and Ax ahead as scouts. Then when this school year is over we can go and attack."

(I don't know if it would be safe to be away from my meadow for that long. I had to chase away a squatter when we came back from China.)

"Don't worry Bird Boy if you need help I'm sure a certain Bald Eagle could help you out." Rachel just glares at me in response.

"It will be less than two weeks until school ends. We use goose morphs to get there and back and when we get there I think we should try Hork Bajir."

"Why not the Howler? So far several Yeerks have seen it. If it attacks again it will make them think it wasn't us."

"I don't want to use it any more Rachel." I saw her lips move but couldn't hear what she said from where I was standing.

"What was that Xena?"

"I called him a wuss. The Howler is the most powerful morph any of us have. He goes in, howls, and then grabs a Dracon beam and blasts the ceiling, and the whole thing caves in."

"And kills a bunch of humans." I saw Cassie grabs Jake's hand. "A lot of people who have friends and family."

Rachel glares at Cassie. "Better dead than a Controller."

"We made that choice they didn't."

"How do you know? What if they all volunteered? What if they have no one left who isn't a Controller? Or what if they are just waiting for the day a tiger or bear rips their throat our so they can finally be free?"

I knew the two would continue arguing and had to speak up. "They can't be working on it every hour of every day can they? Human hosts have jobs and need to sleep. I think if we attack at night there would be fewer people."

"There would still be Hork Bajir there like the one that was freed."

I may have sided with Cassie on human deaths but Hork Bajir... "Better dead than a Controller who can slice and dice us." I saw a quick smirk on Rachel's face before it disappeared.

(We will leave tomorrow.) I see Tobias fly up through the rafters of the barn. (It is too late to leave now even as geese. They don't fly well at night.)

"Then I need to get home and make dinner." My dad was going out on a date with his new girlfriend. If only I could tell him mom was alive. But I can't, not yet, at least.

But I had a date in a couple of days so he'd be stuck making his own dinner then. Ah, Melissa Chapman, if only you knew just how hard it was to find time in my busy schedule.

**2**

Melissa Chapman is the daughter of two Chee. Well, not really. We kidnapped her parents since they were Controller's and had two Chee replace them. Her parents now live in the Hork Bajir colony while she is oblivious to who her parents really were.

But right now we were in her room studying a couple days after the meeting. I had asked her to a dance and since then we've been dating. It was hard juggling her and the war with the Yeerks but she was really cute and that made it totally worth the hassle. "So Washington crosses the Delaware and attacks the British on Christmas? That doesn't sound very nice."

"He was fighting a war. He had to do what ever he could do to win it." Just like us. If we killed a few Hork Bajir? Oh well.

"But when the Viet Cong attacked on Christmas we said it was wrong."

"We were the good guys."

"So the bad guys do the exact same thing then they're the good guys? Or are the good guys the bad guys?"

"No, neither."

"We dropped nukes on two cities filled with regular people."

"It ended the war." What was Melissa doing? We had to finish homework for history class.

"What if they did it to us? What if they dropped two on our cities?"

"Well, that wouldn't be good." I take her homework sheet. "But we were the good guys. They attacked us and allied themselves with Hitler." I hold it up trying to keep it out of her reach but it doesn't work since some might call me a little... Not short just not tall.

"What does it take for the good guys to stop being the good guys?"

"Why are we talking about this?" I notice her look towards the door. "What?"

"My parents are acting weird."

"What do you mean weird?"

"For a long time they were, cold, distant, to me. But now they check on me and help me with my homework."

"Oh." And I knew the exact day they stopped being cold. Not that I could tell her. "So what do you think it is?"

"I don't know."

I had to think of some thing didn't I? "Maybe one of them had uh, cancer? And didn't want to worry you? Or they thought they had it but when they found out they didn't have it got that off their mind?" Not even the hint of a smile. "Or you know uh, like with Rachel's parents, but then they worked things out."

"I thought about that. But then why were they so cold to me?"

"Beats me." I knew exactly why but couldn't say any thing about it. "Ok so now that we know what Washington did on Christmas what did he do over summer vacation?" Now I got a smile.

As the suave, cute, Animorph it was my duty to make the ladies smile and laugh. And not just at me but with me. You make a girl smile and laugh and you are in.

When we finished the rest of our homework I tried to kiss her but Mrs. Chapman interrupted us. "It is time for dinner. Marco I made extra in case you wanted some."

"I do, thanks." What if she had been standing there the whole time? And used a hologram to cover herself so it looked like we were alone? How do we know she was outside the door knocking on it when she could be inside watching us? Maybe save the kissing for later.

We were almost finished with dinner when there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Melissa got up from the table and went to the door.

When I saw the two police officers I knew there was trouble. They were both Controllers. "Ma'am, Sir, we have reports of a disturbance near here and were wondering if you could come outside and talk." I saw the Chee nod.

"What's wrong?"

Mrs. Chapman smiled and patted Melissa on the shoulder. "Don't worry dear I'm sure it is nothing." She walks out with the officers and Mr. Chapman.

Melissa leaned over to me. "See? She called me dear."

"That's what you're worried about? The cops show up and that's what you got out of this?" What were the Yeerks planning? Mr. Chapman, the Yeerk in his head, held a high rank in the Yeerk empire. If he was needed and they couldn't just call him then there must be some thing major going on.

When the Chee came back in I wasn't surprised when I was told I had to go home. "What's going on Mom?"

'Don't worry honey. It wasn't you two since I know you were upstairs doing homework." Melissa had her back turned when a hologram message appeared in front of me.

_Eric will contact you_

"I need to grab my stuff."

"Already got it." When had Mr. Chapman gone upstairs? No, the Chee gone upstairs? They were fast but I didn't think they were that fast. Unless he left the hologram of himself down here while going up the stairs... Maybe that is what he did.

I wasn't even down the block when a car pulled up. Mr. King and Erik King were inside. I got in the backseat and they pulled away.

"So what's going on?"

"Tobias was captured."

"What?"

"They captured a red tail hawk near a construction site north of here. We found your Andalite friend nearby and Tobias was missing."

"You guys have people up there?"

"Of course. We've been slowing down construction with unfortunate accidents. Why were your friends there?"

"A freed Hork Bajir told us about it and we sent Ax and Tobias up to scout it out and see when the best time for an attack would be."

"Before your friend was captured any time at night would have worked. During the day the sound of construction could be muffled out by other noise but at night it was too quiet."

"I'm guessing now they sent as much security as possible to guard the place from an attack?" Erik nodded. "Except now we need to go get Bird Boy so we can't not go."

"So far Tobias has not talked. They will wait two hours and then either kill him or wait for Visser Three to come and torture him and hope he will talk."

"So wait they might not really know it is him."

"They have seen a red tail hawk too many times."

"Exactly. If they see another then they might think he isn't an Andalite bandit and let him go."

"Or kill him on the spot." We turn off the main road.

"Where are we going?"

"The only way you and your friends will get there in time is if you take a Bug Fighter. One of our friends is piloting tonight and will be taking Mr. Chapman to the site."

"That's why they contacted him."

"Yes. Capturing an Andalite bandit will be a victory for the Yeerks. One that they need after what has happened lately."

Like getting their leaders killed. And having Kandronas blown up. And having a Yeerk pool elsewhere be attacked. All on us but we had to do it.

When the car stops I was a little confused. "I don't think a Bug Fighter will be landing here." We were too close to town still. Even with cloaking it couldn't be safe.

"I'm taking you the rest of the way. We were just going to take you earlier but the Controllers were still around. We couldn't risk them seeing you disappear in to thin air." Erik picks me up easily and starts running.

I may not be the tallest person in the world but I was still a pretty heavy person. For a Chee though? I was nothing. I could have been in my gorilla morph and he'd still whisk me away like a knight in shining armor.

SoonI see the others and the Chee that brought them. "So now what?"

"Now we wait for the Bug Fighter. It should be here in less than three minutes."

"Time for us to morph some thing small."

"Fly or flea?" Please not the flea. I hated being blind.

"Fly. We don't have time to try and jump on some one."

"Works for me." I started morphing.

**3**

I was on the Chee Chapman. With fly vision you could kind of see the outline of the hologram and the structure underneath. It was like having xray vision.

I couldn't see very far though so we had to rely on the Chee.

I only knew we had landed and were outside of the ship when I could feel a cool breeze. (We have more than ninety four of your minutes left.)

(Our minutes. Ax you are on Earth they are your minutes as much as they are ours. You don't here the Chee calling them our minutes or your minutes.) Ax staid silent. Maybe this time it would sink in.

It was dark now. (Ok every one we need to demorph.) Jake giving the orders again.

We were in a side section of the cave. "Now what? We go in guns blazing they might kill him before we can reach him."

"Howler. Jake howls and cripple every one."

"Including you."

Rachel was right but the Chee was wrong. "But not you. Do the hologram thing and go in to grab Tobias."

"I don't want to do that morph ever again."

"Well too bad Big Jake but we need it." I saw what he did when he used it last. On the Pool Ship and he killed every one. But we needed it. The Ellimist played Crayak and got us that morph so we could use it. Or do you think he gave all the goodies to Tobias?"

"I can use it but I won't do any thing else." I saw his skin start to turn red. His eyes became blue.

When he was ready we started morphing in to Hork Bajir. Just in case. I wouldn't mind getting the blades dirty but we had dozens of Hork Bajir inside and probably even more Taxxon.

When Jake howled it hurt. Even as far away as we were it hurt inside of the brain. The brain doesn't have nerve endings so why did it hurt? Or was that some thing else? I'm pretty sure the teacher said the brain didn't have nerves in it. The pain was hurting my memory.

I didn't see it I only felt the breeze. "Go! I got him!" We start running for the exit.

An alarm blares. Even more Hork Bajir and Taxxon pour out from side entrances.

I saw Cassie look around. (A Howler is strong but one Dracon Beam on full energy will kill him!)

Rachel starts slowing down. (Then we need to help him.)

(Just go! I can howl again if I need to.)

(You heard the man.) We kept running.

When we ran in to a large group of Hork Bajir Tom did the talking. He knew the weird language Yeerks spoke. Ax told me what it was called but I can't remember any thing right now. (What did you tell them?)

(Large red creature with blue eyes appeared and killed the Andalite bandit and then ran for the exit. We are chasing after it what ever it was.)

We kept running until we were out of the cave. I saw Mr. Chapman waving to us and we ran to him. "Where's Jake?"

(We don't know.) Great. We get one out and leave another behind.

(Where's Tobias?) He drops the hologram and the Hork Bajir that was Rachel runs to him picking him up gently. (He's alive right?)

"Yes. He has been drugged with some thing to keep him passive." I saw Tobias move in Rachel's hands.

(Hello? Am I still dreaming?)

(No Tobias we got you but we need to get Jake out.)

"I can help with that. Stay hidden." Mr. Chapman was a blur as he ran back in to the cave.

We heard screams. Some human and some not. I felt the ground shake. (What are they doing in there?)

(We should have gone and helped him!)

(Calm down Cassie. If we go back in there we could be the ones who need rescuing.) Come on Mr. Chapman. Wow am I really rooting for him? No, the Chee playing him. So weird to think I hated Mr. Chapman even before I knew he was a Controller and now I was rooting him on.

The ground shook again. (Guys I think it is an earthquake.) The ground started shaking even more and I had a hard time keeping my balance.

(Jake!) Cassie's shout got my attention.

I could see the cave start to collapse. The ground shook harder and harder and I could hear rocks tumbling down the mountain side. (Run!) I saw a landslide coming our way.

I saw Rachel hold Tobias closer as we started running. (Tobias can you fly?)

(No.)

(I'll protect you.)

We ran as fast as our large dinosaur like feet could go. We made it to the trees and I hoped they would slow the rock slide down. But the rock slide was catching us in less than a minute. We couldn't demorph and remorph in to birds fast enough.

"Up here!" A Bug Fighter drops the cloaking device and we can see it. We just had to reach it.

Hork Bajir may look like monsters from your worst nightmare but they are actually gentle giants. They eat bark and are amazing tree climbers.

I leapt up the first tree that looked strong enough to hold my weight. I saw the others do the same. Rachel had a hard time with Tobias cradled in one arm but she made it up her own tree.

I jumped as hard as I could and grasped the edge of the open door. A Chee leaned down and pulled me up like I was a piece of paper.

We hovered over the mountain for a few minutes. We had demorphed and Cassie was crying. I wanted to help her but what could I do? "Maybe he morphed in to a cockroach before it collapsed. Nothing can kill a cockroach."

(With the amount of rock between the the cave and outside I do not believe Prince Jake could climb out in under two hours.)

"Not helping Ax." Too many Yeerks were down there. A bunch had been swept away by the rock slide but there were still so many left. We couldn't help could we? "What if we tried using the Bug Fighter to blast through the rock?"

"And risk frying any survivors like your friend? I can't do that."

"He's right." Rachel strokes Tobias's feathers as she holds him. "We could take over so you don't have to do the actual shooting but we'd end up frying Jake if we tried."

We were lost. Big Jake, Prince Jake, my best friend, was trapped. We had to hope that maybe the Yeerks would find him.

It had been an hour since the collapse. The Yeerks were making quick work of the clean up but nothing from Jake.

We were nearing the two hour mark. Cassie stopped crying and simply rocked back and forth hugging her knees.

We had passed the two hour mark. Even if Jake had some how morphed some thing that could have lived through the collapse he would be trapped. (What do we do with out Prince Jake?)

Tom, I had almost forgotten he was here. He had been so quiet during all of this. "We go home and keep fighting. We wrecked this pool for the time being it should take them several more months to get back to where they were let alone have the thing built."

What else could we do? "Man, I'm so sorry." Tom ignored me.

I check on Cassie and she had stopped rocking back and forth. She was motionless now.

My heart felt like it had stopped.

Rachel hugged Tobias tighter to her chest. I could see tears in her eyes. Jake was her cousin. Even if she acted like a violent psycho some times she was still human.

Ax... I swear he was crying. I didn't know Andalite's could cry.

It was a quick trip home. I wanted to go home but Cassie wouldn't move. Rachel walked off the Bug Fighter with out a single word. She simply stroked Tobias's feathers.

Ax walked off after her and sprinted quickly in to the woods.

The Chee who was piloting the Bug Fighter was quiet as well. "You have lost your friend but we appear to have lost ours as well."

"What?"

"The Chee playing Mr. Chapman has not contacted us. His ability to contact us may be blocked by the metal and stone makeup of the mountain. If the Yeerk forces weren't there we could have dug through in minutes."

"You could have found and saved my brother." Tom walks off of the Bug Fighter.

I helped Cassie up off the floor. "I'll take you home." She doesn't respond but lets me lead her off of the Bug Fighter.

**4**

The Chee playing Jake fooled every one. He took Jake's exams and made sure he passed but not by too much.

His parents had no idea he was gone. They got to live thinking one son at least was still alive. If only they knew which one was alive.

But we knew Jake was gone. Had Crayak finally gotten his wish? Did he cause the earthquake? It was too much of a coincidence.

I couldn't focus. I thought about going to Melissa's but the Chee were there. They had replaced her father again. I didn't want any Chee around or my friends. I just wanted to be alone.

I spent my first day of summer vacation flying over the mountains. High above the ground it felt like every thing else was gone. Could I just go? What if I did? Just flew off in to the sky and never came back?

I couldn't though. The others needed me. The Earth needed me. My mom needed me.

I had to do it. With out Jake some one had to take control. He once designated me the backup leader so I took charge. "The Yeerks are stuck rebuilding the other Yeerk Pool." I had to think of some thing. If we stood around and did nothing we would only keep grieving. "But there is the one under our city."

Cassie immediately shouted. "We can't go down there."

"We won't. We know where the Hork Bajir and Bug Fighters go in and out of."

(Which is guarded just like the other entrances.)

"Yes Tobias but not as well." Time to reveal my plan. "We steal a truck, fill it with explosives, and drive it to the entrance."

"Who would drive?"

I was going to volunteer myself but Tom spoke up first. "I will." He stepped forward. "I can drive and I'm already dead. If I die then I die."

"No one has to die." I wasn't sure where we would get explosives but I bet we could find out where we could get some.

"Ax Man get on you computer and find a construction or demolition company near here. We'll take what ever they have and fill a truck up."

"Stealing stuff? We don't steal we pay for stuff we use."

"I'm sure what ever they use costs a ton and we don't have that kind of cash. Sorry Cassie but we don't have time for that."

"But, but, just because," She went silent as she walked over to a stall where an injured deer was. She worked on the bandage that had started to fall off. I guess she would do this instead of just trying to tell me off.

An hour later I landed at Ax's scoop. (Did you find any thing useful?)

(Yes Marco. One company is planning on demolishing an old warehouse and have brought in an explosive called C4.)

I've heard of that before. (Good job Ax. That should be more than enough. Find out where exactly and what kind of security there is.)

(When?)

(Start tomorrow I'll be out here tomorrow night.)

(Yes Marco.) I almost expected a Prince Marco. I wasn't ready to be Prince yet.

That night I flew back to Ax's scoop. He was watching Cartoon Network. (I didn't know you liked cartoons.)

(The way the images move on the screen is different from real life. We don't have these kinds of images on my home world.)

(Do they have C4 on your home world?)

(No our explosives are far more powerful.)

(Our explosives will still get the job done.)

(Yes they will.) He told me about what he saw at the warehouse while we watched Powerpuff Girls.

The warehouse demolition was being done by humans. No Hork Bajir, no Dravon Beams, no hunter robots, just humans. And at night? No one was there. I almost felt like I wanted a Taxxon to jump out of a dark corner.

They had all of the stuff sitting on a truck. "Well that was easy." I rode in the truck with Tom while the others followed as birds.

"This is the first time I've driven as a human." Tom looked like he was about to cry. "I was a Controller when I got my license. I had two birthdays as a Controller. I was seeing a great girl when I was taken. I broke up with her and never saw her again until they made her a Controller."

"That sucks dude."

"They stole my life. I live with a bunch of Hork Bajir and former Controllers. The only time I leave is for meetings and missions." He slows down as we come to the road we needed. "And why is that? Because every one thinks I am dead."

"After the war you can go back."

"To what? The only way I can go back is if every one knows we're being invaded. If we some how defeat the Yeerks or the Andalite fleet finally shows up and blows them out of the sky with out us silly humans finding out about it I can't go back."

He was starting to worry me. "Yes you can. Maybe not your here with your family but some where else. The Chee could set you up some where."

"I'll never see mom and dad again." He was crying now. "Or gramps and his cottage on the lake. I loved going there but couldn't with the slug in my head. I'd be too far away from the Yeerk Pool."

I reach over and pat him on the back. "You'll go back Tom I swear. We'll slow the Yeerks down until the Andalite fleet comes and destroys them."

"What if they lose again? Or they decide we're too far gone? I know what a Quantum Virus does to a body. His last host was a Hork Bajir. It had been infected and the Yeerk got out minutes before the virus finally killed his host. I saw his memories. I could feel the pain he felt."

"That won't happen. Ax is the brother of a former Prince. He can tell them not to use it."

I was surprised when he laughed. "I'm the brother of a former Prince."

"Yeah, I guess you are." Now I felt like I had some thing in my eye. "Just get us near the Hork Bajir entrance."

"And then what?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead yet."

**5**

Crap. The entrance was deep in the forest. There were trees in the forest. A truck was not meant to be driven through a forest.

The others landed and demorphed. "We need a smaller boat." No one laughed. I don't get it that was a great joke.

Cassie must have read my mind. "We are not stealing another person's car."

"Why not take one no one owns then? We passed half a dozen car dealerships just on the way here."

"Can you hotwire the car?"

"No." Crap. "I could morph in to a gorilla and steal the keys."

"How long would it take to figure out which car the key belonged to?"

(Why not just jam a screwdriver in to the ignition?)

"I don't think that would work Bird Boy."

(It does. Saw it on Monster Garage. The host talked about how he never could figure out how to hotwire a car when he was stealing them. So he just jammed a screwdriver in there and it worked.)

"I'll be back as soon as I can." I started morphing in to an owl and as soon as I could I took off for the nearest car lot.

Another human business and another easy getaway. Were people around here just too trustworthy or was I really wanting a new nasty morph from Visser Three to chew my gorilla arm off? I should be happy there was nothing but an alarm guarding the lot.

I should have let Tom drive. I could drive really I could but there were a few mailboxes missing by the time I made it back to the others. "I made sure it had all wheel drive."

"That is a fifty five thousand dollar Volvo." Tom put his hand on the hood. "And we're destroying it."

"I know we get to have all of the fun." We start loading explosives in to the car.

It was a little past one in the morning when we had the car loaded. "Ok every one from what Ax told me C4 is really stable. It takes a special charge to set it off."

(The detonator was in the truck so I was able to set it so that it would set off the charge when it was hit with a enough force to break the two capsules between the cases.)

"Thank you Ax Man. So every one up high and Tom get ready."

"I am ready."

Cassie walked over to him and put a hand on his arm. "Just focus on the cockroach. Open the door, focus, and jump before you go over the edge."

"I can do it. I may not be as experienced as all of you but I can do it." He got in the car and slammed the door shut. He turned the radio on and Final Countdown was playing.

(Just make sure you get out in time. I lost one friend this month I won't lose another.) I took off in to the sky as an owl once again.

We guided him through the trees as best we could. We were getting close to the edge of the entrance. (We shouldn't be doing this.)

(Why now Cassie?) Even I was shocked by the anger in Rachel's voice.

(There could be people down there.)

(Not that many. This late at night the Controllers are at home and in bed.) So I hoped. The entrance that the Bug Fighters used to get in and out wasn't directly over the Yeerk Pool. It was off to the side so hopefully there wouldn't be to many people there.

This attack was about annoying the Yeerks. I'd love to get the car floating in the Yeerk Pool but that wasn't going to happen. We might damage a few things, maybe even a Bug Fighter, but for the most part I knew this would just annoy the Yeerks.

I could hear Tom rev the engine as he broke through the tree line. For about the length of a football field there was nothing but grass. (Come on Tom start morphing!)

"I can get closer!" The hearing of an owl was the only reason I could hear his response.

(Do it now!)

"No!"

(If you die then your parents will have lost both sons!) I finally saw hims start to change.

He was less than ten yards before the first Dracon beam was fired. It blasted through the windshield but Tom, half cockroach already, was leaning out the open door.

He rolled out just before the car made it to the dirt edge around the entrance.

The car barreled through two Hork Bajir who tried to stop it and flew in to the open space on the entrance.

For a few seconds I thought it hadn't worked. Then the ground shook and I could feel the force of the blast come through the entrance.

I gained a hundred feet just by spreading my wings. The explosive blast carried me higher and higher.

I saw the entrance start to crumble. A part of it collapsed. (I think we destroyed a support or two.)

(I think you're right Tobias.) We watched more and more of the entrance collapse on the north side. Right where the car would have been closest.

We staid in the air for a couple more minutes. Cassie flew down and found the cockroach that was Tom and took off with him. She didn't say any thing she just flew away.

The entrance had collapsed about forty feet north from the starting point. I don't know how much damage it did but it was more than I expected. (Good job every one. We should go home now.) I thought of Tom going to the Hork Bajir colony. Tobias going to a tree. Ax going to his scoop. (What ever home it might be.)

As I got home I snuck in through my window that the Chee copy had left open for me. "Thanks man."

"No problem Marco. It is always an honor to help you and your friends." I turned the light on and saw my computer had been moved.

"What did you do?"

"I was bored and tried playing a game but your computer was slow."

"And?"

"I took some things out and put other things in so it is faster and more powerful."

"Uh, thanks."

"No need I get bored."

"Really?"

"Of course. Don't you?"

"Well, yeah, but, I guess I didn't think you would."

"Because I am a machine?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"Because you're a Chee. Don't you guys like store books and stuff in your head? Why did you even need my computer to play a game?"

"My creator loved technology but he loved being able to touch it. You could watch a movie but he'd rather be the one creating it. You could sit back and watch a hologram of a video from a newly discovered world but he wanted to be the one filming it."

"So you like to use your hands to play games instead of just doing it in your head."

"Yes." For a several hundred pound machine he moved quieter than a mouse as he left my room.

I sat down at my computer. "Well it isn't like I have school tomorrow." I turned it on and was amazed by how quickly it booted up. "I bet I can play the newest Dungeon Siege on the highest graphics and not slow it down." I start the game and lose myself in it. One had to find an escape from the nightmares. Cassie had her animals and I had my games.

**A/N So it has been a long time since I last updated. Why now? I reread my Animorphs and wanted to know what happened next. So now I know. Will I write and update again? Maybe. If I have the time off from work and stuff. I want to know what happens next and I hope you do as well!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Animorphs 36 The First **

**Author James the Lesser**

**I do not own the characters, Applegate and her many Ghost Writers do! ****But I do hope any who read this will enjoy, even if I change things up!**

**Sorry for the long delay between updates!**

**1**

Do I start with Dear Journal? Or maybe my name? Jake told me he would write all the things going on in his head and stuff. It helped him keep the nightmares away. I wonder where he kept it. I'd love to read it and see what he hadn't told me.

Now he never could tell me could he? He was dead and buried. I have nightmares about it. Maybe this would help me with my nightmares. Some of them. Too many for me to count.

I was stuck living at the Hork Bajir Colony. I was finally free but I couldn't go home. Every one thinks I'm dead. Every one thinks my brother is alive. The exact opposite was true. It didn't matter though. I was still stuck here.

There were other humans here. Former Controllers like me. I avoided them as much as possible. They didn't know every thing I knew. They knew a few humans had joined the Andalite Bandits but they didn't know there were no Andalite Bandits.

The only one I'd talk to was one of the Chee that helped me stay in communication with the others. I couldn't use a cell phone since that could be traced. He also could show movies on the side of the house I was staying in. Maybe it knows how to start a new journal? Or should I call him he?

I could ask Cassie. I've been talking with her since she is the closest to the Hork Bajir Colony. I can usually work in her barn helping with the animals while her parents were at work.

They call me Tom. This isn't Moby Dick. Heh, I would have had to read that except my English teacher was a Controller. My name is Tom and I'm an Animorph. Too AA. My parents named me Tom when I was born. Now they think I am dead.

When I was a Controller I wanted to be dead. Hoped one time the Andalite Bandits would rip my head off or shoot me with a Dracon Beam. Now I'm free and I'm dead.

I heard a knock at the door and answered it. "Hey Bob." The Chee looked like an old, overweight, balding white guy.

"They are having a meeting around five."

"Thanks." I looked behind him and saw two Hork Bajir bringing down branches from a tree. Others look out and see squirrels I look out and see nine foot tall aliens. "Uh, you want to come in? The TV you set up in here has over a hundred channels."

Bob taps the side of his head. "So does this." He smiles and walks away.

As I flew out to Cassie's barn I couldn't help but think of school. I liked it when I was free. I played basketball and I was good at it. I might have gotten a scholarship deal out of it. Instead? I get infested and quit. My grades were ok not all A's but no D's either. After I got infested? I got all A's with out doing any homework or taking any tests.

The Chee playing my brother went to school. He took the exams. The brother who was dead was in school and I wasn't. Well, they were on summer vacation now but still. Next year he would go in place of my brother while I staid in the Hork Bajir Colony.

Marco was waiting with Cassie, Tobias, and Aximilli. Marco was my little brother's best friend. Now? He had some how taken over this little group. Shouldn't I have taken over? I was the oldest and I had been on the inside. "Hey Marco." I pulled at my shirt. It was a size too small but we could only morph tight fitting clothing.

"Hey Tom." Was he smiling or smirking? Because he knew I should be leader and he took it from me? What was I thinking? I need to spend more time with him and the others so I can get to know them better.

"So what's going on?"

"I have a few ideas."

"Ideas?"

"Stuff Jake wouldn't do but I think needs to be done."

I saw Cassie look away from Marco as she acted like she was sorting various animal meds. "You want to kill people."

"You'd rather be dead than a Controller again right Tom?"

"Yes. Yes I'd put a Dracon Beam in my mouth and blow my head off before letting a slug in my head." I tried a few times when I was infested. A few times I had one in my hands I would try and turn it on myself but I never could get enough control.

"But they didn't make that decision."

"We have some one who knows all the Controllers in our town and then some. He knows all of the Pool entrances."

"I have a name."

"Tom might know them but he doesn't have to help you kill any one." At least Cassie knew my name.

"I think we should attack the Pool entrances. We attack them and shut them down. Do you think every one in this town in a Controller? We tear down a building and they hire a construction company to put it back up. We blow up another one and they hire another. We destroy ten entrances and they need to hire ten companies. Maybe they have one or two and maybe even three under their control but there is no way they have a dozen."

(It would only annoy them.)

"We have to do some thing until the energy detector is on Earth, Ax. I can't think of what else we can do."

(If we destroyed every Pool entrance it might make it harder for them to infest new people. They would have to struggle to keep the current Controllers fed.)

"This all falls on me. If we attack places like a McDonalds or the movie theater entrance we could end up killing Controllers."

"And?"

Marco didn't understand what I was getting at. "Killing human beings. Do you understand what that means? I had to order the deaths of others. I killed a few myself."

"They are hosts. I'm sorry but we kill all the Taxxon and Hork Bajir Controllers we can. If we kill a few human hosts? Hell it might make the Yeerks slow down."

"At the expense of human lives? Marco we can't do that. Jake would never do that!" Cassie smacks Marco.

"Jake is dead. We are losing the war. If you think killing a few humans is wrong then I hope you feel good when every human is a Controller."

(Marco calm down.) Tobias's feathers were ruffled.

"No. I am sick and tired of playing with kids gloves." Marco went to the door of the barn. "Where is Rachel? She should have been here by now."

(She said her mom asked her to make a snack for her little sisters.)

"Great."

"Marco I think you should calm down." Maybe I should take over. Marco seemed to be fueled by anger. Visser Three was fueled by that and his ego.

"You'll help won't you? You know where the entrances are."

"There are nineteen in the city. I can show you them on a map."

Cassie came over to me. "Don't do this Tom!"

"He was one of them. He knows what it is like. He wouldn't want that for any one."

"It doesn't mean he has to help you!" I grabbed Cassie by the arm when she went to smack me.

"Don't hit me." She struggles but can't break my grip. "I'll help Marco attack the entrances but we'll do it in a way that doesn't get any one killed." She relaxes so I let her arm go.

By the time my cousin Rachel made it I had already marked the Pool entrances on a map. "There are only six of us. Even if we split each one up individually that would still leave one left after we took out three each."

(What are you guys talking about?)

"About time Rachel." Marco points at a couple places on the map. "These are entrances to the Yeerk Pool."

(So? We can't go down in there.)

"Of course not that is suicide." Marco waves her down and she hops down from the rafters. "We're attacking the entrances."

(Cool. When do we go?)

"Not yet." How do I explain this to Marco? "You want to attack these public places. Places where yes some of the people are Controllers but not all of them. There will be an innocent customer at the counter or a bunch of teens sitting at the theater. If we do this I will only help if no one is killed."

(You already marked down the entrances right?)

"Yes Rachel but you need as much help as possible. Nineteen entrances that must be attacked as close to each other as possible. If we destroy five or six and not the rest the Yeerks will only increase security." This plan was actually a good idea. If we could pull it off.

"We don't, I don't, want a bunch of dead people either but a Controller is a Controller. Taxxon, Human, Hork Bajir, it doesn't matter."

"Then we should attack at night when the majority of the places are closed." I checked the time. "I'm going back I don't have an owl morph so I don't do well at night."

I loved flying. One doesn't know how freeing it can be to move not just forward or backwards but also up and down. You can move in any direction when you're in the air. I could see if I couldn't go back to my life I would just morph in to a bird and fly away.

The next day I left the Hork Bajir Colony. I had to do some thing. I hated staying there more and more. Every day it was a reminder of what had happened to me.

I could only see my parents when I was flying over the city. The top of my mom's head looked like every one else. Her hair was thinning. Was it always thinning? Or was the stress of losing a son causing it to fall out?

My father was in the backyard mowing the lawn. I did that. That was my chore. Now he was doing it. Why didn't he make Jake do it?

The Chee was at the school as my brother. He would check the entrance there and make sure there are no cameras or other security at the entrance. If it were really my brother I would be worried about him trespassing on school grounds during the summer. But it was a Chee he could use holograms to cover himself.

I was checking a few places from the air. As far as I knew all of the security was on the inside. I doubt they'd change it since I was freed.

I couldn't walk in as myself. I was dead and if the Yeerks saw me they'd know some thing was wrong. But a dog? I could run in and bark at a couple people and maybe even grab a burger. I am tired of using the microwave. Maybe I could ask the Chee for some fast food when I get back?

I miss fast food. The smell made my mouth water once I was human again. A dog could steal a burger and not go to jail. The place might even replace it for the customer. I should really focus on what I was doing and stop thinking about fast food. The stuff was bad for your health. But it tastes so good.

Once I could focus again I morphed in to a poodle. I got it from Bob when I asked for a dog morph. No idea where he got it from. My brother mentioned the Chee have some dog park but I don't know where it is. Probably some thing I should find out.

I ran through the doors as soon as some one opened it. The smell! I had morphed wolf before but I was in the woods not the city.

Fried food, burnt food, fresh food, and more. Sweat? I think that was sweat. And the bathrooms were cleaned with lemony freshness but I could still smell them. I could smell it all! It was brain overload for me.

I ran to the back where the entrance was. Nothing. No robots or Dracon Beams. There was no security.

I ran to the front of the store barking at an imaginary animal. Some one opened the door for me and I ran outside chasing after the same imaginary animal.

I demorphed in an alley behind a dumpster. "I'll never smell a burger like that again." The dog mind loved the smell. I would remember that smell forever. I wonder what it would have tasted like as a dog? Stop thinking about food you have plenty at...

Home? Was it home now? The place I sleep and eat? Well, try to sleep. The nightmares. Being captured that first time. Being a slave in my own mind. Or even worse the nightmare of what would happen if I was recaptured.

The resistance would be wiped out. I would force my cousin's head in to the Yeerk Pool. She was screaming obscenities at me as I did it. We had stunned her so we could capture her.

I would lead Hork Bajir out to Cassie's home and kill her and her family. Why was she killed but my cousin was taken? She didn't even fight she just screamed at us to leave her family alone. They had nothing to do with this just leave them alone. I personally vaporized her mother.

Marco fought to the death. I could hear his screaming in my head. We wanted him alive on orders from Visser Three. He would use the son of Visser One's host to torture the host.

Tobias escaped. He flew off some where and never returned. Lucky bastard. He'd never be a host. He'd never be a slave. He'd just be a bird with out any friends slowly watching his planet become infested by the Yeerk Empire. Maybe he wasn't so lucky.

Ax killed himself. Used his tail and sliced his head off when he realized he couldn't escape. (_I'd never let one of you in my head.)_ And then he cut it off to make sure we couldn't take him.

The sky in that dream was wrong. There was a giant red eye where the Sun should be. I could tell it was following my every movement in the dream. It was like the eye I saw when the Yeerk finally starved in my brain.

I flew over my home again on the way back. My father was done mowing and must have been inside. My mom's car wasn't in the driveway.

As a bird you can't cry. Your bird brain can't feel that kind of emotion. I wanted to stay a bird forever as I flew back to the Hork Bajir Colony. A bird wouldn't have nightmares would it? Or did Tobias have them even though he was a, uh, crap I can't remember which kind of hawk he is. Cassie would know I'm sure but she was at home. Think about food at least that won't give you nightmares.

**2**

I went to Marco's and flew in through his window. (I checked a few entrances and saw nothing out of the ordinary.)

"Cool. Now we just need to find out a way to attack all of them at once."

(With as few deaths as possible.)

"Yeah, that too."

(Marco even if they volunteered to be infested it doesn't make them evil. The Sharing was created to find those who were weak and manipulate them.)

"I get it. You were one of them."

(I was never one of them. A host isn't a Yeerk. They don't join them.)

"Ok sorry for using the wrong word." He threw his book bag on the bed. Where had he gone that he needed that? "My dad's not home so you can demorph."

(Ok.) I demorphed quickly.

I paced back and forth. I was in a real bedroom, in a real house, in a real neighborhood. "Marco I get you're all gung ho about this but you can't start killing people."

"Why not? We kill every one else."

"A mom disappears and her husband starts asking questions. A dozen moms disappear and the local media has a field day. A hundred disappear? The FBI and national news sweep in and tear the city and surrounding area apart. How long until an FBI helicopter flies over Ax's place? Or two agents come across the Bug Fighter entrance?"

Marco didn't respond. He looked out his window as if an answer was out there waiting to come in. When he finally did turn towards me his answer surprised me. "Maybe we need that."

"What?"

"How far up does this go? What if the President finds out? We can nuke the Pool Ship out of the sky."

"Shields protect the whole thing."

"Shields can come down."

"If we launched enough nukes at it maybe. My Yeerk wasn't an expert on shielding."

"What was he an expert on?"

"He wasn't. Most aren't. He was just an average Yeerk who moved up the ranks. Pretty soon it would have been a Sub Visser."

"What ever. If the President knows he can launch nukes and take it down. He can warn the world. We go and tell people? No one would believe us. The President says _Hey every one aliens are real and they're invading_ the people will listen." Marco pounds his right hand in to his left hand. "More can join the fight."

"Before or after Visser Three unleashes hellfire from outer space? Sure he might kill a billion hosts but there will be another five billion left."

"Why hasn't he done it then? Why do they sneak around invading slowly?"

"Your mom is the reason why. She started the idea of the Sharing and the slow invasion. She knew that if the Yeerks used force to invade they'd lose tens of thousands of Yeerks and hundreds of millions of hosts if not billions. The amount of ships needed to attack was more than the Yeerk Empire was willing to commit."

"More than what they already have?"

"It would probably take four Pool Ships at least to have enough Yeerks for an open invasion. To have enough Yeerks to infest as many humans as possible while blasting any resistance from space."

"The Yeerks could do that couldn't they?"

"Yes."

"Why haven't they then?"

"The Andalites would notice. They'd be forced to respond and if they did, well, a Quantum Virus would be the only response the Andalite Fleet could use."

"Great. And if they think we're too far gone they'll use a Quantum Virus. But if we aren't losing then they'll keep ignoring us. We can't win can we?"

"Sure we can."

"How Tom?"

"No idea." I didn't want to talk about this any more. "Look Marco we will attack the entrances but I want as few if any deaths possible or you won't get my help."

"Or Cassie's. And I need every one on this." Marco was finally seeing reason. "So what do we do? More explosives with remote detonators?"

"Or a countdown timer."

"The only problem is placing enough explosives in some of the places. The majority of the entrances are in public places."

"Do you think the Chee could help?"

"They can't place explosives."

"No but they can throw up holograms to cover up the explosives after we place them. Can't they?" I still didn't know that much about the Chee.

"Maybe. I'll contact them later."

"I can ask Bob when I get back to the Hork Bajir Colony."

"Even better. I have a date with Melissa to get ready for."

"You're worried about a date? We're fighting an alien invasion and you are going on a date? Marco what do you think you're doing?"

"Having a life."

Having a life? Some thing I could never have. I was dead. "Have fun." I morphed in to a hawk and left his room.

**3**

What else could I do? I went around the city a few times over the next couple of days checking on the entrances. Bob kept me up to date with what the others were doing.

My cousin and Cassie were at the city pool. Pretty funny since there was an entrance to the Yeerk Pool in the girl's locker room. Why they were there. They had just planted some explosives.

I flew over another house and saw one of the Chee. What were they doing there? There were a couple of other people in the backyard. Were they Chee?

I landed on the roof of the house. (Erik?) I see him look around. (On the roof.) He sees me and nods. (Uh, is this your house?)

"You must be Tom then if you don't know."

(Yeah, uh, yeah.)

"Welcome to our home."

(So you guys just sit around in a normal house?)

"Yes. We are normal."

(Compared with some of the other things going on? I guess you guys are normal.)

Well that was interesting. But now what? I'm stuck going back to the Hork Bajir Colony. Alone. Jake used to visit but now he was gone.

I was in the house watching television when there was a knock at the door. "Tom, it is me." Mr. Chapman?

I opened the door and saw he was alone. "What do you want?"

"I want to know what is going on." He walks in even though I didn't say he could.

"With what?"

"With you and the others. You wall yourself up in here except when you go and help the Andalite's and your cousin."

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

"About what? I haven't seen Jake visit you for a couple of weeks. Did some thing happen?"

"No." He didn't need to know what happened. No one did. As far as the world knows my brother is still alive and well. Even though I'm the one who is alive.

"Then why hasn't he visited?"

"Because I go to him. I don't need him disappearing from home all the time."

"Good thinking." Mr. Chapman walked over to the couch in the living room and sat down. "Why don't you talk with the rest of us? We all experienced the same thing Tom."

"We all experienced it differently." He volunteered. So did his wife. Yes it was to keep Melissa safe but still they volunteered. "I don't want to talk about it or any thing else with you." I go to the door and leave him behind.

I morphed and flew north. I don't know why I went north I just did.

I had to land and demorph but as soon as I could I remorphed and started flying north again.

I saw the site of the Yeerk Pool we attacked. The Yeerks were still excavating it. They could have blasted away but that would get noticed. Instead they were doing it by hand and shovel. They couldn't even use human heavy machinery. They weren't supposed to be up here. This was protected lands. Why they chose it. They knew no one would bother them.

My brother's body was down there wasn't it? What if they found it and knew he wasn't supposed to be there? Or worse realized Jake had never missed school and was still running around town? We had to do some thing didn't we? We couldn't let the Yeerks find my brother's body.

I flew home as fast as I could. Again I had to stop about half way and demorph but I remorphed and took off as soon as I could.

Marco was in his room playing a video game. (Marco!)

"What!?" He jumped and dropped his controller. "You made me lose!"

(Sorry but this is more important!) I landed on the window sill.

"What is?"

(What happens when they find my brother's body?)

"Who?"

(Duh, the Yeerks! When they find his body in the rubble how lucky would we be that no one realized he wasn't supposed to be there? Or that he was seen alive and well after the cave in.)

"I thought about that."

(And?)

"He was crushed. My best friend was crushed by tons of rocks. What are the chances all of them missed his skull? His head would have been crushed making it impossible to see who it was."

How could Marco be so calm? (And if they did a DNA test?)

"Why would they?"

(They know exactly how many died I can tell you that. When they find an extra body they will test the DNA.)

"They don't have any of his."

Huh, maybe Marco was right to be so calm. (But, then, what if, he might have donated blood.)

"Not since we've started that much I know. Did he ever donate before?"

(He couldn't have. He was always afraid of needles too. So even if they checked for DNA they wouldn't have any.) Marco was right not to be worried. He was two steps ahead of me. (You're right. I panicked for nothing.)

"Don't worry about it Tom. I thought about going back for Jake but it would be pointless." Marco tried covering up his sadness with a smile. "You ever wanna talk I'm here. Well, when I'm not with Melissa."

(Or out on a suicide mission.)

"Planting explosives across the city is probably the least dangerous thing I've done this year."

(And that scares me.) I'd barely done any thing since I'd been freed. What little Jake had told me before he... To think him and his friends had slowed the Yeerk invasion.

**4**

I was flying to clear my head when I saw Cassie out in the woods. I flew down and landed in a tree. (Hey Cassie.) I see her look around. (Above you in the tree.)

"Hey Tom."

(What are you doing out here?)

"Taking a walk."

(Just a walk?)

"It's like flying just done on the ground."

Ha. Marco seemed to be the one who usually told jokes. (Oh. Want me to leave you alone?)

"No. I could use the company. Jake used to fly with me."

(You could fly with me.)

"How long have you been in morph?"

(Uh, I can demorph and remorph.)

"Better safe than sorry."

I flew down and demorphed. "Why did you decide to walk instead of fly?"

"I can only fly for two hours. I have to keep an eye on the time and it is distracting." She looks around. "If I walk I can just walk and walk as much as I like."

"If I had shoes I'd walk with you." One of the few downsides to morphing is you couldn't morph shoes.

"It's ok I'll fly now that I have some one to talk with." We both morphed in to birds and took off.

We were over the town when I remembered the other day. (So you planted the bombs right?)

(Yes. I hope no one finds them. They're dangerous and could hurt some one.)

(Even if they are a Controller?)

(You were a Controller before. What if we had killed you? Then you wouldn't be free now.)

(True.) We continued flying and talking. We had to demorph and remorph a couple of times but we kept flying and talking.

I spent a couple more days scouting. We planted more and more explosives. Well, they did. I couldn't be seen in public. But as a bird I could help.

Soon the explosives would be detonated. Marco and Rachel wanted to detonate as soon as possible. Thankfully Cassie and I convinced them to wait until night.

I flew over the mall where there were two entrances. (I haven't seen any one go in or out for at least ten minutes. I think it is safe.)

I landed on the roof where the detonator was. (Every one has checked in. Are you ready Tom?)

(Yes Tobias.) I waited for Tobias to give me the order.

I wasn't going to demorph. I would use my beak to hit the button. I knew this was dangerous. The mall was closed so no one should be hurt but other places were open even late at night.

I found out birds couldn't sweat. If I was human I would have been. But my heart was beating wildly. Could birds have heart attacks? (Marco says in five.)

(Minutes?)

(Four. Three. Two. One.)

I hit the button with my beak and feel the roof shake. I wonder what regular people would think. Who would attack the mall, school, fast food restaurants, ware houses, and other place all in one night? The Yeerks would scramble to repair them but what would others think?

I waited a few minutes before taking off for home. Well the Hork Bajir Colony. Maybe one day I could go home. Once this war was over we could reveal what happened couldn't we? I hoped so.

I hadn't made it back when an owl joined me. (We really need to get you an owl morph.)

(I know Cassie. It is hard having to flap all the time.)

(I used to have a couple owls before David burnt the barn down. Their wings wouldn't heal properly and my father has a soft spot for owls so couldn't put them down.)

(David is why I wasn't allowed to get a lion morph isn't it? I remember a lion attacking a few times and then disappeared.)

(Did Jake ever tell you about David?)

(Just that it didn't end well. Why you voted against letting me in at first.)

(I'm sorry about that. We just freed you from the Yeerks and then we ask you to come back in to the fight.)

(And you're worried about how I might react. I know Jake was nervous I might try and take over.)

(After he, disappeared, I thought you might.)

(Marco took over and I really don't want to deal with it. I was a high ranking Yeerk and gave orders. I'm tired of giving orders that result in people getting killed. What if I gave the order that got my cousin killed? Or you? I don't know how Jake could do it.)

(I think that's why Marco did the bombing tonight. He doesn't want to send us on a mission where he might give the wrong order.)

(Jake gave those orders all of the time. He put his best friend and you and our cousin in danger. I just have to hope when Marco does send us in to trouble he doesn't get one of you killed.)

(One of us killed? What about you?)

(I'm already dead. I'm like a vampire or a zombie. I walk and talk but I'm dead.)

(But we know you're alive.) She flew closer to me. Any bird watchers might think we were fighting over territory. Any Yeerk would probably start shooting.

(And I want to stay that way for a long time. But if it came down to it and it was me or you or any one else? I'd make sure you guys got out even if it meant I didn't.)

(Thank you Tom.) She started slowing down as we neared the colony. (If you want I can come visit you after I do my chores.)

(I don't care. I don't do much at the colony. What time would you be coming out?)

(I've been getting help from Bobby so I'm usually done before noon.)

(I might be awake by then. Being at the Hork Bajir Colony I usually watch the late shows. And the infomercials.)

(Can't sleep?)

(Some times. I keep thinking this is all a dream and when I sleep the real world comes to me and I'm still a Controller. I'm still trapped in my own mind. When I'm awake I know I'm free.) The nightmares just wouldn't go away.

(The Chee have psychologists. I know Rachel has been talking to one. Maybe you could talk to one too.)

(Sorry but I don't think so. I've never been much for opening up and sharing.)

(You opened up and shared with me.)

(I, well, I'm sure you have to get home and get some sleep.) I broke off from her and flew through the trees in to the Hork Bajir Colony.

I watched the usual late night shows. The infomercials were the same as the night before. I could make my own inventions. I knew enough from the Yeerks I could probably put Bill what's-his-face in the poor house.

But I'm dead. I can't do any thing outside of the colony. I never will be until we beat the Yeerks. If we do. Our best case scenario is the Andalite Fleet shows up and doesn't use the Quantum Virus. Our worse is we lose, the Yeerks win, and the Andalite's wipe us all out. I should stop thinking about it. Writing it down only seems to make it worse.

I must have fallen asleep in the chair. I was woken up by the news reporting over a dozen bombings. No one was sure who was behind it. So far no deaths or injuries were reported. Good.

I knew Cassie said she'd come out to see me but I needed to get out.

I morphed and took off in to the air.

I saw Cassie with her Chee. I couldn't remember the name. (Hey Cassie you two need any help?)

The Chee replied as I landed. "Sure! Another hand is always good. Cassie needs help resetting the leg of an animal and I can't do it."

I demorphed and helped the two out trying to forget the dreams, the nightmares, and the thought that I wasn't really free.

**5**

Marco called for a meeting so I flew out to the Barn. I was the first one there. "Hey Cassie any idea what this is about?"

"Not really. Have you seen the news?" I simply noded. "They said it must have been some anarchists who attacked the city."

"Except the Yeerks know better."

"Yeah. I'm worried they might wonder how we got the bombs in to some of those places."

"We morphed humans and walked right in."

"Yeah but," I had to cut her off.

"I used to be one. I know how they think. Why do you think they aren't looking for humans with morphing abilities? Any one who suggests it to Visser Three is killed so they just stopped. He knows Seerow's Law makes it impossible for a human to have morphing powers."

"But those with human hosts think like humans?"

"Pretty much. They know how we are. They know we fight even after we've already lost. They know we'll break laws if we have to."

"But we'd need an Andalite to break one really big law."

"A dying Andalite? Might just become desperate enough. They may have laws but when it comes to the Yeerks they'll break them. Human hosts understand that but a Yeerk who has never understood the mind of a human? I doubt he even understands the mind of an Andalite. He's too arrogant to look inside of Alloran's mind."

Cassie and I set the animal's leg while waiting for the others. I hadn't even noticed the Chee disappeared. "Where did your Chee go?"

"Bobby?" Cassie looks around for a few seconds. "If you're playing a joke please don't I think this one needs to keep calm."

The Chee, Bobby, should I call it that? Her that? Was it disrespectful to call Bobby just Chee or it? It isn't like she'll ever read this but I should probably stop calling her Chee or it. Any ways she came from behind one of the cages.

"I was actually leaving you two alone."

"Oh, well, until the others get here could you help me muck out the far stall?"

"I'll do it myself you two keep talking."

We talked for a few minutes until we heard wings. I looked up and saw a, uh, what ever Tobias's morph was. Red Tail Hawk? "Hey Tobias is Ax coming?"

(I was checking to make sure no one would see him.) Sure enough I heard hooves and the blue centaur looking alien the others called Ax appeared.

We waited a few more minutes before Marco and Rachel made it in their bird morphs. (How am I the last one here? I called this meeting.) Marco flew down to the ground and demorphed.

Once he was human again Marco started his meeting. "Well any one who watched the news knows we got all nineteen entrances."

"Yeah, and?"

"And, Xena, I got my next idea." Marco and my cousin glared at each other. If I didn't know any better I'd say there was some thing more between them. "Yeerks hate exposure. Like the Sharing President taking off with all of that money."

I saw where he was going. "We can't expose them."

"Not the Yeerks themselves but the hosts we can. What if one won the lottery? And then another? And another?"

"So we annoy the Yeerks by giving them millions of dollars. Great plan fearless leader."

"It is once some one who is good with computers lets some one know of the hacking. Those who win will be in a lot of trouble."

"So again we annoy the Yeerks."

"We annoy them when they already have problems. We also target ones who are high ranking." He looked at me. "Tom you know who the big wigs are. Who would get screwed the most by an investigation in to lottery rigging?"

"Uh, any one? If you want we could target the Sharing and have their members win and pin all of it on them. The more we hurt the Sharing the fewer new followers they'll get."

"So your big plan is to rig the lottery and then let the state people find out it was rigged? You really needed to call a meeting for this?"

"If you have any better ideas that don't involve the Yeerk Pool let me know."

My cousin went to Marco and got in his face. "Why not blow the Sharing up? We could always steal more bombs."

Cassie pushes the two apart. "The Sharing has staff there at all times. Even at night they have janitors and cleaning crew."

"So? They're probably Controllers."

"Like I was?" I should have kept my mouth shut. My cousin wasn't in a good mood and talking back to her didn't put her in any better of one.

"Better dead than a Controller! We have it set up now right? Some mad anarchists running around and blowing stuff up. We simply blow the Sharing building up."

(They might be expecting that. Rachel we would have to get inside with enough explosives to destroy the building. It would never happen.)

"Shut up Tobias I wasn't asking you."

"Whoa calm down Xena."

"Stop calling me that!" I was as surprised as every one else when she punched Marco.

"Stop!" Bobby was a blur as she got between Marco and Rachel. "I've wanted to be in on a meeting and now that I'm here you are fighting? Do you always fight like this?"

"No." Cassie grabs Rachel and pulls her away. "What is wrong Rachel?"

"Them, him, all of you!" She pushes Cassie away. "The Chee won't commit violence or allow others to look for the Pemalite Crystal. Marco has us annoying the Yeerks instead of attacking them. You are such a wimp you don't even want us stepping on the foot of a Hork Bajir let alone kill them." She pushes Cassie away again when Cassie tries to stop her from leaving.

"Please, wait!" Bobby stands in Rachel's way. "We have been looking for the Pemalite Crystal."

"What?!" Cassie goes over to Bobby. "When?"

"Why I am partnered with you. We know you were the last one to have it."

"No I wasn't."

"Yes you were. Jake found it and gave it to you to hide. I've been watching you hoping to find out where you put it."

"You've been spying on me? I thought you were my friend!"

"I am but I want to do more. I told you I was stuck on the Pool Ship until I faked my death. I was bored, frustrated, that I couldn't do more. When Erek asked us if any one would help you I volunteered."

"Why tell us now?"

"Because I want to do more! I can't make her tell me where it is but one of you can. Rachel if you can make her tell us where it is I can help you! I can keep this planet safe from the Yeerks. I can save our Creators."

I saw tears on her face. The hologram of her face. The Chee, Bobby, was crying. I can't keep underestimating them. They may have the bodies of machines but they are more than that.

"I won't let them die again! If they had only reprogrammed us to fight off the Howler attack they would still be with us! Instead we had to watch them be exterminated. We can't delete those memories with out a Pemalite Crystal. I have to know exactly how my Creator died. Do you know what that is like? It isn't a memory where you think you know the details. I can tell you every slice placed on her body. I can tell you exactly how she screamed when one of the attackers howled. I can tell you how my great Creator threw herself in front of me trying to protect me. I was a machine! I wanted to protect her but I couldn't. She created me and loved me and wanted me to be safe. She died making sure I got on the ship and all I could do was watch and remember." Bobby sat down on the ground continuing to cry.

I was uncomfortable. Here was a being older than the pyramids sobbing because she missed her Creator. Some one who loved her and she loved back. Now she was watching what remained of her Creator be threatened by the Yeerks and there was little she could do.

Cassie knelt down next to Bobby and put an arm around her shoulders. "It's ok Bobby. I'm sorry but I can't let you know where it is. I want to help you but not in that way."

"Then I'll help her." I saw Rachel start to morph. The brown fur growing from her skin as she got larger and larger.

"Ax!" Ax's tail was at Rachel's neck. "Rachel demorph." She tried to answer but couldn't talk because she was in mid morph. There was silence. I think she was trying to use thought speak but hadn't evolved enough to use it. "Now Rachel."

She seemed stuck in mid morph before finally going back to herself. "Or what Marco? You'll have Ax cut my head off? Would wittle Cassie approve of that?" She said the last part in baby talk.

"No just nick you enough to make you demorph."

"You want this war over and the Chee can end it. We can take the Pool Ship, Blade Ship, and the Yeerk Pool here in a matter of days."

This time I had to speak up. "How did that end last time Rachel? Didn't you tell Jake you had to kill him to fix things? How would you fix it this time? My brother is already dead."

"The war was over."

"I get these Chee are really strong and capable of hacking the Pool Ship but then what? Wait three days for every host to starve? What about the hundreds of thousands, no, millions of Yeerks already on Earth? Do you think they would just roll over? They would fight back and kill millions more."

"It would be better than billions if the Andalite Fleet shows up and decides we're too far gone and unleash the what ever virus on us."

"What if we do this? What if we use the Chee and we capture the ship? Who gets the ship? America? The UN? What if China or Russia wants it and threatens with nukes?"

(And my people could consider you a threat and use the Quantum Virus to keep you from leaving your solar system.) I saw Ax's tail twitch. Any farther and my cousin would lose her head.

"So if we do win the Andalite's kill us. If we lose they kill us. Why are we fighting then if no matter what the Andalite's will just show up and kill us? Why not end the war and use the Pool Ship to fight back!"

(I would hope they would listen to me. I am the brother of a Prince. I would tell them you are not a threat to us or peace and could become the great allies we once thought the Yeerks would be when Seerow first pitied them.)

"I won't tell you or any one where it is." I forgot Cassie and Bobby were still there. I couldn't take my eyes off of the blade just one muscle twitch away from killing my cousin. "Jake told me to hide it and I did."

"So you take her choice away? Bobby and other Chee want to help us so let them! Sure some don't but they don't have to change only the ones who want to." I saw Rachel lean forward almost daring Ax to cut her.

"They don't know what it is like to kill. Erek does and he changed himself back." Cassie kept her arm around Bobby's shoulders as Bobby continued to cry. "I won't corrupt the Chee. I won't let Cryak hurt them or the Pemalites like that."

"So you'll let the Yeerks kill them instead. Or the Andalite's. Fine." Rachel spit at Cassie. "I know we can win and none of you want to help me? I know Cassie. She was my friend for years. I bet I could find it."

"You won't."

"I will. Even if you won't tell me."

"I couldn't tell you. I had to make sure it was lost in a way that even if I became infested the Yeerk's couldn't get their hands on it."

"So you threw it in to the ocean. I could find it if I had help."

"I did better than that. I flew out in to the ocean and waited to find a whale. When it came up to the surface I dropped the Pemalie Crystal in to its mouth. It took me a few flights to do it but now I know the crystal is safe."

"You lost our only chance of winning the war!"

"No it isn't. I think Marco has the right idea Rachel. If we ruin the Sharing it slows the Yeerks down a lot. We set them up by hacking the lottery and making sure it gets noticed. I can give you a couple names to target first that would hurt them the most."

"So we annoy them but don't hurt any one? We make sure we put pillows on our paws so we don't kill any Taxxon."

"We'll kill plenty when the Energy Detector is here but until then I want to hurt the Yeerks with out getting any of us killed."

"Can't do it can you? Jake could order us into the Yeerk Pool or on to the Pool Ship. You won't even order us to look at a Controller too hard."

"You're right. I can't order his brother, cousin, girlfriend, to die. I won't put Ax or Tobias in the firing line of a Dracon Beam. Not until we destroy the Energy Detector. After that? I have a lot of plans. But we have to keep the Blue Box and the Chee safe from the Yeerks."

"Like what?"

"One thing I want to do is steal a Bug Fighter and fly it in to the Yeerk Pool and blast the pool itself. I've asked Erek and he says if we were quick enough we could blast it and fly out dumping the Bug Fighter in the woods."

"So now you want us to go in to the Yeerk Pool? Isn't that suicide Marco? At least that's your excuse for never doing that."

"If we do it in a Bug Fighter we're in and out before they know what is going on. We blast the pool and even if it doesn't kill any of them we cause chaos when they have no entrances to get through but that one."

"So why can't we do it now? If it is so easy to do."

"Because it is suicide to go in to the Yeerk Pool." I couldn't believe these two. If some one didn't stop them they would continue this forever.

Wait, why couldn't I stop them? I may be new but I'm the oldest and have dealt with the Yeerks longer. "Shut up both of you! We aren't getting the Pemalite Crystal and we aren't stealing a Bug Fighter. We will wait until the Energy Detector is here and destroy it."

"Says who?"

"Me! Rachel I side with Marco as does Cassie. We know we can't get the Pemalite Crystal so we have to do some thing else like focus on the Sharing. If I had been freed earlier I would have focused on it before. We destroy that we destroy their main recruiting base."

"Through bad publicity? Really Tom?"

"Yes Rachel. They may be operated by Yeerks but they operate in a human world. Bad publicity or good publicity is every thing. We do the lottery and other things."

"Like blow them up!"

"That would just make people feel bad for them Xena."

"Stop calling me that!" Rachel looked like she was ready to attack Marco but Ax's tail blade staid at her throat.

"Fine I'll just call you a psychopathic idiot!"

(Hey! She is not! Ax let her go and see how big Marco is when he doesn't have you holding her back.)

"Go ahead Ax. If she thinks I'm afraid of her pull your tail back."

Ax does and Rachel immediately lunges for Marco.

I watched them fight wanting to stop it but I wasn't getting in the middle of this. I'd let the two beat each other up.

After a couple of minutes my cousin was on top of Marco choking him. "You're a coward! Jake dies and you try to take over but you're too scared to do any thing!"

"You're killing him!" Cassie tackles Rachel off of Marco.

"Get off of me! You're even worse!" Cassie fell backwards after Rachel got her right in the face.

"What is going on out here?!"

(Sorry I wasn't keeping watch!)

I tried to hide but Cassie's mother already saw me. "Tom? Or are you Jake in one of those morphs?"

"No, I'm Tom." They told me she knew but she was handling this a little too well. "In case you couldn't tell..." She finished it for me.

"You're not really dead. I heard you were a Controller."

"I was but they rescued me and faked my death." I watched her reach for some thing near the work bench. "I swear I'm not a Controller any more."

"He's telling the truth mom." Cassie ignored her bleeding nose and went to her mom. "We freed him but we lost Jake."

"What? When? Wasn't he here just the other day?"

Bobby stood up and changed her hologram to my brother. "Hello. One of my kind is pretending to be him." She changed back.

"But, no. Jake can't be dead. I knew this was dangerous but you said you were being careful! And you're bleeding now!" Cassie's mom grabbed her and hugged her hard. "Why are you bleeding?"

"That's my fault." I swear my cousin looked smaller.

"She tripped and accidentally hit me when I tried to catch her."

"But when? How?"

"Before school ended. Killed in a rock slide."

"But that means he's been dead for almost three weeks. How could you keep this from his parents? Why not tell them Tom is alive?"

"In case they get captured. The fewer people who know the better. Mom you can't let any one know about this."

"And why is Marco covered in straw?"

"I fell too." Marco knocks some of the straw off. "You understand you can't tell any one about Tom or Jake."

"Isn't there any thing I can do to help? I know you said we can't call the police but they can't all be Controllers."

"There are too many and even if we did tell one who wasn't a Controller what could they do? Mom they control the police even the ones who aren't Controllers."

"Then the President!"

"And how would we do that? If we could get close enough to tell him with out the Secret Service shooting us there isn't much he could do."

"We have nuclear weapons we can shoot the big ship you said they have."

"They have weapons that would shoot any missile out of the sky before it got close. The Yeerks would then vaporize hundreds of millions from outer space. If we take this war public then they have no reason for a slow secret invasion." I saw the look in her eyes. I'd seen that look in my own eyes. "But we can slow them down and hurt them. Like we did with the bombings."

'That was you kids who did that? Why?"

"The Yeerk Pool is below the city. We destroyed the entrances to the Yeerk Pool. Of course they have the one they use for Bug Fighters but it slows them down."

"Tom, I, I'm happy to see you're alive but I'm sorry about your brother."

"He died fighting the Yeerks. If I'm lucky I'll die that way too."

"Don't say that. Maybe, maybe when this is over and those blue ones like your friend here show up you can come back."

"I'm dead to the world. If I came back it probably wouldn't be as me." I hoped it wouldn't happen but I had to be ready for it. "I hope I can see my parent's again but it might not happen."

"Where have you been living?"

"I, well," 

"Around." Was Marco trying to take control again? I let him before but not this time.

"With some other freed Controllers. I am taking over the group since I'm the oldest and most experienced with the Yeerks. We're planning some things but nothing that would get any one else hurt."

"Really?"

"After Jake we need to take a break from the suicide missions and just do the things we know will work with out putting us in danger."

"That's good. Thank you Tom."

"It is more for us than any thing. We have some thing coming and we can't risk losing any one else."

"Some thing dangerous?"

"Not to us but our allies. I don't know how we'll handle it yet but we're working on a plan. That's what tonight's meeting was about."

"Oh. I heard screaming and came out thinking maybe Cassie had been bit by one of the animals."

"I yelled because Rachel punched me in the face when she fell. Sorry mom."

"So I, I should go." She turned and left us.

"Cassie make sure she doesn't freak out about this."

"I'll do it." Bobby got off the ground and followed Cassie's mother.

It was silent for a few minutes. I saw Marco start to say some thing but no words came out. I finally broke the silence. "Rachel, Marco, don't talk to each other until the next time we meet. I will talk with Bob back at the colony and see if he can't hack the lottery. I'll give him the list of names to make winners. The rest of you wait for me to call a meeting."

(I could do any hacking work needed.)

"I'm sure you could Ax but the Chee know the lottery better than you do and understand PR. They'll know what I'm going for."

(Very well.) Ax was the first to leave.

Soon Rachel left and Tobias followed after her. This left me with Marco and Cassie. "Marco you have good ideas and I agree with them but you suck at giving orders."

"I never wanted to be leader." He said nothing else as he left.

Now it was just Cassie and I. "Need any ice for your nose?"

"It only throbs when I breath." Her laughter made me feel better.

"I can't believe that just happened. I thought Jake said she was seeing some one from the Chee."

"I did too. I've looked on the internet and saw stuff like post traumatic stress disorder and multiple personality disorders. The more stress she feels the more, aggressive, she gets which fits the second one."

"You're like the shrink for the group aren't you?"

"Those who want to talk to me do I guess. Jakes, you, even Tobias."

"I'm sure he has plenty of issues."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Not as many as you'd think. He knows he probably let himself be trapped to escape his home life. He didn't think about doing it but maybe his subconscious made him do it. He's actually happier as a hawk who can morph than a human who can morph. I was scared for him but he seems comfortable with what he is now."

I looked closer at her nose. It didn't look broken but was swollen. "I'm sorry about Rachel. The few weeks I've been free I haven't really talked with her. Jake visited me but she never has."

"She doesn't talk to me either. I wish she did but she won't. You heard her. She thinks I'm weak because I don't want to kill."

"You're not weak." She sneezed and let out a cry of pain. "You need ice. Is there any out here?"

"We have freeze paks in the freezer." She points and since I was closer I opened it and got one out.

I put it on her nose and saw her wince in pain. "Sorry. Your nose will probably be bigger for a few days."

"Just what I need. I'm already plain looking now I'll have a big nose."

"You're not plain looking."

"Compared with Rachel I definitely am. Well, she's your cousin so you've probably never noticed."

I didn't realize it at first but there was a wave of emotion in the barn. "I, I think I should go."

"I need to go inside and check on Bobby."

"Are you mad at her?"

"No, kind of, no. She misses the Pemalite that created her and sees the Yeerks coming to kill what little remains of the Pemalites. She's desperate to save that."

"Good thing you hid the Pemalite Crystal like you did."

"Yeah. Not even I could find it now."

When she took the freeze pak from my hand I felt... No, stop it Tom. You're just lonely. Stuck at the Hork Bajir Colony with former Controllers all much older than you isn't good for you. Me, how should I write that down? "Good night Cassie. I'll let you know about the lottery thing."

"You can come and help me at the barn. Now that my mom knows about you we won't have to worry as much."

"I guess. Not tomorrow though I'll be busy." I walked out of the barn and morphed in to a hawk and took off.

**6**

Bob had no problem with hacking the lottery for us. He could probably hack every computer in the country at once.

Every three days a top member of the Sharing would win the lottery. At first no one would be suspicious. But when the same number came up in less than a month? The investigation would start.

I was flying over the Sharing HQ when I saw her. The girl I originally joined the Sharing for. She was a Controller. She had been a Controller the entire time I knew her. Was she really as nice and sweet as she came off or was that the Yeerk inside her mind?

I had one in me. They didn't know sweet. They didn't know kindness. It had to be her. It knew it because she was it. She was trapped inside of her own mind just like I was. It didn't have to be like that did it? They kidnapped others why couldn't we save her?

When I got back to the colony I told Bob about my idea. "I'm sure there are a few Chee who will volunteer."

"How many?"

"There are dozens of us just in the area. Some of us want nothing to do with the war but there are enough who know if you fail every thing is doomed."

"I'll need the others approval for this."

"I can have them contacted and a meeting set any time you wish."

"Thank you Bob." I told him to set up the meeting for early the next morning.

Cassie was always up early so this early meeting wasn't a problem for her. The others? Not so happy about being up early during summer vacation.

Marco was the first to complain in between yawns. "They just had the second lottery that isn't enough to harm the Sharing."

"No this is about some thing else. You guys kidnapped Controllers and replaced them with Chee. I have a new target."

I didn't want to lie. I would feel bad for doing it but if I told them my real reason for wanting her freed they'd probably say no. "She is near sub visser rank. She is a top recruiter for the Sharing. If we eliminate her they lose a key hunter."

"Hunter?"

"What they call people they use to recruit others."

"So lets do this." Rachel yawned. "Later."

That's it? I said lets do a mission and they just followed? Was it that easy for Jake? I used to give orders but I wasn't giving them I just asked for help and they agreed to. "Uh, well, I wasn't expecting it to be this easy."

"Why wouldn't it? She's some top Yeerk and we take her we hurt them and the Sharing."

"I guess I'm just not used to this. I had to give orders and death threats before."

(We aren't egotistical jerks.)

"Thanks Tobias."

(I need breakfast. I hate flying this early since the thermals aren't really set yet.)

"I can get you a mouse Tobias."

(No Cassie I need to hunt.) Tobias left through the rafters.

(I ate on the way here but there are interesting These Messages on I am missing.)

"Then uh, go, I guess." Giving orders to an Andalite? If the Yeerk was still in my head it would have died from the irony.

"I'm out. Taking a nap before breakfast."

I saw Rachel glare at Marco. "By then it will be lunch."

"People say you'll regret it in the morning. If you sleep past noon then you can't regret it." Marco yawned again as he started to leave. "Xena."

"Don't call me that!" Rachel looked for some thing to throw at him but Marco was out of the barn before she found any thing.

"Calm down Rachel. You never got mad about it before."

"It isn't the name it is him!" Rachel storms out of the barn leaving me alone with Cassie.

"Well that went better than I thought it would."

"Did you really think we'd say no?"

"Well, I, I've never made a mission before. I can't believe my little brother has been doing this for months."

"He's needed a lot of help but he has it." She put a hand on mine. "You have it too. Even if some of us aren't as willing to help as others."

"I don't think Ax likes me." She smiled and laughed a little.

"He misses Jake. Prince Jake." I saw tears in her eyes. "He tries to hide it but he'd resent any one who tries and takes over. Not that Jake took over in the first place. We just looked to him and he some how knew what to do.

"My little brother was even more awesome than I knew. I was free for only a few weeks before he died. I liked it when he visited me. We'd play video games or chess and stuff. It was almost normal. If you ignored the aliens."

"He fought to free you. He originally wasn't going to but when he learned you were a Controller he knew he had to fight. He looked up to you and knowing you weren't the brother he loved he would have moved mountains to free you."

"He did." She started crying and I couldn't hold my own tears back.

I had to leave. I had a mission. I had to free her. I had to save her. Karen, no, Ashley. Yeah, Ashley. I would save Ashley.

I followed her for a couple of days learning her routine. I also knew when she last fed. No, the Yeerk in her head last fed. I would wait until the day before it was set to go to the Yeerk Pool again before saving her. No we would. The others would help.

She had a public image to uphold. She was a sweet girl who did volunteer work and helped the helpless. If she saw a dog limping on the side of the road she would stop and help it. She had to if she wanted to keep her cover.

It was a little more difficult than I thought since it turned out only my brother had a dog morph.

Marco knew of a neighbor dog he could get close to. So he was the one on the side of the road limping as Ashley drove her car home.

She pulled over to the side of the road and got out of her car. "Oh you poor thing! Do you have a collar?"

Any one on the outside would never know what happened. Cassie had animal tranqualizers in a syringe and got Ashley in the neck while hiding in a hologram.

Ashley stumbled, tried to cry out, and fell on the road.

The Chee who was replacing her picked Marco up. "I'll take you to the vet. See if you have a chip." She walked back to the car and put Marco in the back seat.

A second Chee picked Ashley up easily and put her over its shoulder. His shoulder. They're machines but they're more. I wonder if they'd be offended being called it in a journal.

By the time I flew back to the colony Ashley was already bound and gagged in a chair. She was still sleeping due to the drugs. "Make sure she wins last."

"She's underage she can't play the lottery."

"Exactly. She takes off after having the winning numbers as the first Sharing winner. The Sharing then has to explain why so many members won the lottery and deny the hacking."

"Being done from Sharing HQ computers. I've covered my tracks well no one would be able to follow it outside of there."

"Good." I check the time. "She was to feed tonight. In a few more hours she'll be free." My mission went off with out a hitch. I did it! My first mission and we were in and out before any thing could happen.

About twenty minutes later Ashley woke up. I took the gag out of her mouth. "Where am I? What happened?" Her eyes were dilated and struggled to focus. "Tom? No, he's dead."

"I am. But I saved you. Soon the slug in your head will die from starvation."

"No, I, I'm not, let me go!" She started struggling against the ropes.

"You'll starve and die just like the Yeerk in my head did."

"No!"

"It is ok Ashley soon you'll be free."

"Her name is Karen!" Oops.

"Uh, yeah, that's what I said." I had my own chair and sat in it as I watched Karen struggle against the ropes.

The Sun was starting to set. The Yeerk in Karen was getting more desperate. "Let me go! If you let me go I won't tell any one you're alive!"

"Yes you will. I was once a Controller I know how you think." I knew she'd feel pain. I did when the Yeerk died in my head. "But if you left her now I could put you in the river and you might have a chance to get away."

"Never! I would never let myself die while blind."

"Seeing is an amazing gift. The first time you open a new host's eyes and see? How do you explain colors? How do explain the brightness of the Sun? You can't. You can only see." I knew that all too well. I wasn't his first host but I was his first human. We see differently than Taxxon do. He stared at the Sun a little too long. Thought I would need glasses after the first couple of days but the Yeerks fixed my eyes.

Karen fought against the ropes so much she started to bleed. Bob held her arms so she couldn't hurt herself any farther.

I looked her in the eyes. I could see pain, fear, and hope. The Yeerk was losing control of her. She knew soon she would be free. "She volunteered! She wanted me inside of her! She won't stay here! She'll go back and then you're dead!"

"I'm already dead remember? And I know she didn't volunteer. I've seen her in a cage while you fed in the Yeerk Pool."

"No! She'll betray you! You'll die for this! Garbglhem!" He was losing control of her speech center. "Imdh hfm!"

"The first thing to go was speech when mine died. Soon you will blink for the first time under your own control. You'll take a deep breath and smell the air around you for the first time in years. You may have had the Yeerk out of your head every three days but you were never really free. You might have a hard time walking and talking at first but soon you'll be like it never happened."

"Narh!"

"Is that a no?" Karen simply shook as the Yeerk lost more control of her body.

It was horrific watching the Yeerk crawl out of her ear. When it fell on the ground it withered and soon stopped moving.

I leaned down so I could look Karen in the eyes. "Well?" She blinked a couple of time.

"I'm free." Tears flowed down her cheeks. "I'm finally free."

Bob untied her quickly and I held on to her as she stood up. "I can do it. I walked in the cage." I let her go and she stumbled a little. "I can do it." She was shaky as she took a few steps but soon she looked normal.

"It is weird knowing that all of your steps will be under your own control."

"How?"

"What do you mean?"

"How did you escape? Why did you free me? Where are we?"

"There is a resistance. The Andalite Bandits, the free Hork Bajir, and a few select humans like him," I pointed at Bob. "Who are involved."

"They're freeing humans? Why? Why would the Andalite's care?"

"They free high ranking targets like me or Mr. Chapman."

"He's not free."

"He is. He has been even before I was."

"That's impossible. I've seen him!"

"A lot of people have. But it isn't him."

"This is amazing." She looks around some more. "Is this where the Hork Bajir live?"

"And the Controllers who are freed."

"So I'll live here? What about my parents?"

"They won't know you're missing. Just like no one knows Mr. Chapman is missing."

"But, I, I'm free and I can't see them?"

"They're Controllers too. We couldn't risk it."

"Is that why you faked your death? I don't remember seeing your parents in the Pool."

"They aren't but I had to fake my death for other reasons. I can't tell you now but I will." She was free. She was really free.

"Why me? I'm not high ranking."

"You're a great recruiter for the Sharing." I smiled and saw one try and appear on her face. "You got me to join."

"And countless others."

We talked, and talked, and finally both of us were getting tired. "They built you a house you can stay in."

"A house? I can sleep? Sleep with out a Yeerk in my head? I might dream and then I'll wake up and be free. I haven't slept or woken up as a free person in years."

"It is rough getting used to it but you will." I walked with her to her small house.

At her door I wasn't sure what to do. "I, well, I'll see you in the morning and show you around."

"I'd like that." She hugged me and after a few seconds I hugged her back. "Good night."

"Good night."

I wanted to sleep but couldn't so I got up and went to my living room. Late night host interviewing an actor. Just like every night.

I was close to falling asleep when I heard shouting. It was Karen's.

I rushed out the door and saw her struggling with a Hork Bajir. "Let me go you filthy animal! I'll have your head as a trophy once I turn this colony in!"

It couldn't be. She did not just say that.

"Or keep you as a pet once they make me a Sub Visser! This colony exists right under Visser Three's nose and he couldn't find it! Not only that I can turn Tom and who ever else is here in and we might find out where those damn Andalite Bandits are hiding!"

"No!" I ran and tackled her to the ground. "You're not going back!"

"Get off of me! I'll have all your heads!"

"No! No!" I lost control and started hitting her. "I saw you in a cage!"

"Stop Tom before you kill her!" I was lifted in the air by Bob.

"She didn't volunteer! She didn't! I know she didn't!" I struggled against him but he was too strong.

"You don't know any thing Tom." She sat up slowly. Blood dripping from her nose. Her right eye already starting to swell shut. "There is no point in fighting. If you do things right though you can move up in the ranks. Make the right ones happy you might even get your own fleet."

"You wouldn't have given up."

"How do you know? The entire time you knew me I had one in my head. I stopped fighting. Those few minutes of freedom every three days was great. But I wanted more. If I could get high enough in ranking then I could leave this planet. Let the Andalite's show up and destroy it or let the humans find out and launch nukes. It wouldn't matter. I'd be some where else away from this war."

"You'd be in another one."

"One where my friends and family aren't in the cross fire! The Andalite Bandits killed my best friend! He was on the Pool Ship when the trial was happening. The Andalite's either hired another alien or acquired a morph not even Visser Three has seen and killed every one." She started to cry. "My parents were taken after I was. I had to watch them be taken. If I wasn't here? I never would have known. I wouldn't know my cousins, my aunts and uncles, are going to be taken as hosts or killed if I wasn't on this planet."

"You can't go back. We won't allow you." I had hurt her with my fists. I might have broken her nose or worse. "I'm sorry I hit you but I can't let you leave."

"Then kill me. Kill me so I won't know what happens next. I don't want to know any more." She curled up hugging her legs and rocked back and forth as she cried.

"Bob, take her back to her house and check on her. Make sure there aren't any knives in the kitchen."

"I'll have one of our own who is a doctor check on her once he gets here."

"Ok, thank you, and please don't tell the others about this."

"I'll make sure she gets the help she needs."

There was nothing else I could do but go back to my house and wash her blood off my fists.

**7**

I kept a close eye on Karen and made sure the others knew not to mention any thing around her. If she did some how escape the less she knew the better.

Her eye and nose healed pretty well. I wanted to talk to her but I was scared of how she would react. I just had to hope she would be ok.

When I was freed it was the greatest moment of my life. But my family wasn't one of them. Karen's parents were already taken and who knew who else would be next. Jake would protect my... No, his friends would protect our family. I would protect them.

Three more lottery's were won. Six in total. I wasn't sure what I should do. Should I just have the Chee expose the hacking or should I ask the others first? I'm the leader I give orders I shouldn't have to ask others. That's how the Yeerks do it. We're not Yeerks.

I had Bob call a meeting at Cassie's barn. I made sure it was past noon so none of them could complain about the time. "We've had six lottery wins all by the Sharing. I want to expose them now. But before I asked Bob to do it I thought I'd let you guys know first."

"Yeah, sure, my idea being executed by you."

"Your idea was just hack the lottery. My idea was to hack the lottery in a way that hurts the Sharing. You do have good ideas Marco. I just took it to the next step."

"What ever. So expose the Yeerks and hurt the Sharing."

"In a way no one gets hurt." I saw Rachel roll her eyes.

"We can't do any thing dangerous until the Energy Detector gets here. When that happens we take it out and then we can start doing the dangerous stuff again."

"What about your next great plan then? While we wait? Slash some tires or toilet paper the principal's house?"

"Next is insurance fraud. I was part of the group that helped with the paperwork. We burn the place down and wait for them to file for the insurance money. Then we have the Chee change any documents we need to to show it wasn't an accident."

"You have fun with that." Rachel left and soon Tobias followed.

Ax walked over to me. I've been in the presence of Visser Three numerous times. He is much older and larger than Ax. He also gives off an aura of evil and wrath and insanity. "What is it Ax?" I also knew while an Andalite didn't really show emotions in their face you could read them if you knew them well enough. He seemed, angry?

(Insurance?)

"Oh, uh, insurance is what you pay a company to protect your things."

"Like the family paid for the barn."

(But your barn burned down.)

"But the insurance company pays for us to build a new one."

(You paid them money to pay you money? Why not just keep the money?)

"We pay a little so they will pay a lot if some thing bad happens."

(I still do not understand.)

"Uh, you have a hundred copies of a book. I, well, no that wouldn't work either."

Thankfully Marco had a good idea but I knew how to use it. "You get a book. Only a few exist so it costs a lot of money. Uh, you do know what money is right?"

(What you use to buy cinnabuns.)

"Yes. This book costs a lot of cinnabuns. Now you pay an insurance company enough to buy one cinnabun. You pay them every month the cost of one cinnabun. Say after seven payments some thing happens to the book. The Insurance company spends a lot of cinnabuns to replace the book. More cinnabuns than you could afford alone."

(I understand.)

"Now I want cinnabuns."

(As do I.)

"Wanna go Ax Man?"

(Yes.)

"Uh, yeah, you two can go to the mall." I couldn't. It sucks being dead to the world.

I was alone with Cassie again. How did this keep happening? "So uh, need any help?"

"Sure. Bobby took a break from me."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"I told her I wasn't mad and I understood but she felt bad for betraying my trust."

Chee were amazing. "I keep trying to make myself think of them as real not machines. I still get surprised when they act so human."

"They're better than most humans."

"If all humans were as passive as they are the Yeerks would have won already."

"If the Yeerks hadn't shown up they could have kept ignoring the outside world and continued living their lives. They wouldn't be arguing and taking sides over if they should use the Pemalite Crystal or not."

"They can't really fight over that now can they? You lost it in a way no one else could."

"Now they're arguing about using the Energy Scanner."

"They asked us to, wait, why can't they just destroy it? It is a machine."

"They want to make it look like an accident. One that makes it explode. But the explosion could kill people so they can't do it themselves."

"Oh. Well, I'm going to," There was a rush of air.

"Cassie! You have to, oh, Tom, you too!"

"What?" Both of us were confused.

"Come with me!" It took me a second to realize it was Bobby who was picking both of us up.

"What's going on?!"

"Our friend, your friend, they're alive!"

"Jake!" Cassie's scream took a second to sink in.

Jake, my little brother, was alive? How? Even if he survived the cave in he would have been trapped for over a month. "Bobby how do you know?"

"The rocks at the mountain have a certain metal that blocked our CheeNet. But the Yeerks finally got through enough. They were stuck using shovels and hands since they were in a restricted area."

"How is any one alive?"

"One of the reasons they chose the area was because of a natural underground river. It provided fresh water so they wouldn't need to run pipes out to it."

"That's great for water but what about food?"

"I don't know but I don't care. We thought he had been destroyed but he is ok! So is your friend Jake."

"You have to tell the others."

"We already have and have grabbed them."

"What are we going to do? Why are you taking us there?"

"We need a distraction. Our friend couldn't risk digging his way out in case he caused a cave in but enough rock has been cleared he can do it if he isn't seen."

"Hologram?"

"He can't see outside. He doesn't know how or where to put one."

I started crying. My brother was alive. My brother was still alive! We would get him out and he... Would take over again. Maybe I could work with him. This isn't like the Yeerks. They worked together and helped each other. I didn't need death threats I just asked and they helped. I'm sure my brother would listen to my ideas.

Bobby dropped us off less than a mile from where the rock slide happened. Soon we were joined by the others.

Ax was still in human morph and had crumbs all over his face and shirt. He started to demorph.

Marco had a few crumbs but wasn't as messy. "Well that was a fun ride."

Rachel was silent.

Tobias' feathers were ruffled but he seemed fine to me. (So what's the plan?)

"We attack so the Chee inside can dig out with Jake."

(Prince Jake can't be alive. I am not an expert but I know the human body needs food and water as much as an Andalite body does.)

"There was an underwater river. Right Bobby?"

"Yes. That is why they chose the site."

"Stop." I had to take control. "Jake is alive. We'll save him and the Chee and any one else. Remember the people in there have been there for well over three days. They no longer have Yeerks in their head. We can save them."

"Do you have room for them?"

"We can always make more houses. Condos if we have too many for individual houses."

"Stop! We will save Jake and any one else down there. After that we can worry about it."

We got closer to the rock slide. My brother was so close. Soon he would be back at home. Back in my old room. "We attack until the Chee tell us to leave and then we get out."

"About time." I saw Rachel start to morph.

I hadn't really fought before. I was a Hork Bajir a couple of times but never as what I was morphing now.

An extinct animal. Dead for thousands of years. I wonder what the Human Controllers would think. It didn't matter. We had to attack.

I was quick, agile, and strong. I could feel the muscles ripple underneath my skin. I had fangs longer than any other modern day cat. I would rip the throats out of any Hork Bajir. I would spill the insides of any Taxxon.

I tried to roar. Huh, Sabertooth Tigers didn't sound really scary.

I leapt on top of a Taxxon and slashed it with my claws. Two other Taxxon attacked it and started to eat.

I left them alone and went after the nearest Hork Bajir. It slashed at me but I was too agile. I swung my paw and hit it on the knee. It buckled and was at just the right height for my fangs.

I saw a wolf, Cassie, attack a Human Controller. She bit the arm hard but then let go. He was hurt and wouldn't be a threat.

The Grizzly Bear that barreled through two other Human Controllers came in like a wrecking ball. A Hork Bajir turned to fire at her with a Dracon Beam. He never got the chance as a hawk clawed at its eyes. Those two made a good combo.

I saw two more Hork Bajir coming up with more Dracon Beams. I ran for them but one of them saw me. I wouldn't make it.

I was ready to jump to either side when a large rock flew over me. It hit the Hork Bajir that saw me in the chest knocking it backwards. The second Hork Bajir finally saw me but was too late to stop me.

(That's how it is done.) Marco, as a gorilla, had thrown the rock.

(Thanks for the assist.)

I heard a loud cracking noise. I turned and saw some rocks explode outward. It must be the Chee with my brother. (Get ready to retreat.)

I heard screaming and saw Rachel attack a Human Controller. He giant paw crushed his chest. (He's down Rachel move on!)

(It still breathes.)

"HE does but he can't hurt us now! Move to another target!)

I felt a rush of air again. It had to be a Chee. It had to be the one with my brother. (Fall back! We got it!)

It was easy going back the way we came. The few remaining Yeerks were recovering from wounds or helping others.

As soon as we were far enough away we demorphed. "That was incredible." I already missed being able to feel every individual muscle move as I leapt and ran and slashed.

"You did it." We all turned and saw several Chee walking towards us. Each carried a former host in each hand except for one. He carried my brother in his arms.

"Jake!" I ran as fast as I could but I guess brotherly love wasn't as fast as romantic love as Cassie beat me to him.

"Is he?" She touched his face.

"He's alive. They're all weak. We had to ration our food."

"What food?"

"Supplies for the workers. Thankfully we had enough."

"Cassie?"

"Jake!" She hugged him hard.

"Ouch." Even in pain he hugged Cassie back.

My brother was alive. I got every one in and out alive. I did a good job. Now all we had to do was go home. A farm near the woods, apartment in town, nice two level home, or a colony with aliens. It didn't matter we all got to go home.

**8**

I flew back instead of letting a Chee carry me. It was relaxing and freeing.

I landed near my house in the colony when Bob ran over to me. "Tom, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? What? We don't have enough room?"

"No, Karen, she, I was distracted. She said she needed to use the restroom and they needed help with construction. When I came back it was quiet so I knocked on the door. She didn't answer so I opened it and she, she,"

"She what?"

"She hung herself with the shower curtain."

"No!" I ran for her house.

I ran through the door and down the hall. The bathroom was empty. She was alive.

I went to her bedroom and saw her. She was sleeping on the bed. "Karen you won't believe what happened." I shook her and she didn't move. "Karen, wake up." I shook her again. Her head tilted to the side and I could see the bruising on her neck. "No!" I pounded on her chest. "CPR, I, I've never done it before but it can't be that hard."

I had been trying it for nearly five minutes when Bob finally stopped me. "I'm sorry. I should have realized what she might do."

"It isn't your fault." It was mine. She may have been a Controller before but she was alive. Now she was neither.

My brother visited me two days later. He was still lean but gaining weight. "What did mom and dad think?"

"I haven't been home yet. The Chee are fattening me up before they send me home."

"Oh, that's good." He noticed some thing was wrong. I could lie but he was my brother. "Did the others tell you about Karen?"

"You kidnapped her and freed her."

"Yes."

"What's wrong?"

"She couldn't handle it. She, I had the Chee take the knives and stuff away but she still found a way." I didn't have to tell him any thing else.

I told Bob to expose the hacking. The Sharing would be in crises mode. Karen would disappear. The Chee playing her would stop and Karen would never be seen again.

I don't get why Jake writes this down. Who would want to remember? I wonder if... No, I won't do that. They need me to fight and I can't use drugs or alcohol to make it go away. I should remember. I should remember Karen. Her parents couldn't. They were slaves inside of their own minds. Some one had to remember her.

**A/N I wanted Tom to be different. This is his first journal entry and he isn't sure what to do. He's never done one but heard Jake had so was trying to do the same. Also he isn't all there after years of being trapped. His thoughts are some times disjointed or he gets distracted. Or wonders how he should word some thing. But for an episode where Jake was gone it gave me the chance to write as Tom and we can see how he is trying to adjust to being free. **

**Well, I hope any one who read this likes it and if they have the time review it!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Animorphs 37 The Worst **

**Author James the Lesser**

**I do not own the characters, Applegate and her many Ghost Writers do! ****But I do hope any who read this will enjoy, even if I change things up!**

**Sorry for the long delay between updates!**

**1**

I'm Rachel. Rachel. Funny to think I can't use my last name. Why? Because if this fell in to the wrong hands... Well, it would all be over.

What would be over? Earth. There is a war going on. Roughly seven vs millions.

Is it on the news? No. Internet? Nope. Why? Because we fight in secret. Who is we? A bunch of teenagers. Sure some are teenage aliens or teenage birds but still just teenagers.

I was just a normal teenager at the mall with my, friend. I don't feel comfortable saying boyfriend since he isn't a boy. After all the stuff we've been through I don't think any one would describe him as a boy. That and he's usually a bird.

We had just eaten and were going to leave when we noticed every one stopped. You could see the dropped cup hang in the air between the hand that had held it and the floor.

You could see some piece of popcorn a girl was throwing at another frozen in mid air.

"You know what this means."

Tobias was right. I knew exactly what it meant. "Ellimist."

_Yes._

The mall disappeared and we were in a field with bright red grass and a greenish sky. This might have shocked most people. For me? I've been off world before.

I see Ax, our resident Andalite, step gently on the grass. Andalites don't have mouths. Instead they eat through their hooves. He was probably eating right now.

Jake, my cousin, stepped forward in to the field. "So? Why are we here?" He took control. He always took the lead. We never voted on it we just sort of looked to him.

_Crayak wishes to create a new shock troop. One he hopes to be even deadlier than the Howlers. I decided to play a game. If he wins he can create them. If he loses I will choose to save another race._

I doubted he meant us.

_You are saving yourselves. _

Of course he could read my mind. And sure we were saving ourselves. Seven teens versus an army.

My cousin spoke back up. "And you're choosing us?"

_Yes. Eight warriors to fight his new shock troops._

I couldn't believe it. The Howlers could kill us with just one. Now Crayak was making newer, deadlier, shock troops and Ellimist wanted us to fight them?

I was too busy being mad to notice that the Ellimist said eight. "So who is the eighth member of our group?"

_You decide._

"Erik?"

_No. Crayak has made a rule that you may not use a Chee. It must be an organic being. Any thing organic. Some thing that can bleed and suffer. You can choose any organic being. Any._

"And what rule did you make?"

_That his warriors could not use weapons of any kind._

We all remembered the Howlers. They didn't need weapons.

_You do not have to choose the eighth member yet. You will go forth one member short until you decide. If you decide to help me._

Ellimist and Crayak. Some might see one as good and one as evil. I saw them as two sides of the same coin. They were both super powerful beings who used us so called lesser beings as pawns in their ever lasting war.

"Why? Why should we help you? You could end the war with the Yeerks right now."

_By giving Crayak some thing he wanted. I will not sacrifice one race for another._

"You'll just let us be enslaved?" I had some choice words for him.

_Choose now please. You are my first choice. I know you can stop them. I fear for any others I may be forced to ask._

"We have to do it. We can't let Crayak make another even worse race than the Howlers." My friend Cassie said this.

Were we still friends? We used to be. Really, we were. Even though I was the glamorous blonde and she was... I wouldn't say plain just not, we are friends. If we weren't I wouldn't work at finding nice words to describe her would I? She just got on my nerves with her wishy washy thoughts on the war with the Yeerks.

Hell, all of them but Ax and Tom annoyed me with that. Ax knew what was at stake and was willing to do what was needed, if Jake let him. My other cousin, Tom, had been a host for years. He hated the Yeerks. He'd kill any one it took to win the war.

I see the others nod with agreement. "Fine, lets do it." If we had no choice we may as well do it.

We popped back on Earth. Now I was shocked. "Uh, we all said yes didn't we?" I looked around and saw as people started to move again.

"I thought we did."

_Three Days._

"Great." The last three days of summer vacation would be spent worrying about going off to some alien planet.

**2**

I didn't know what to do. I had three days to do, what? Prepare for facing off against some monsters stronger than a Howler? How could we fight that? Who could we choose to join our side that could fight such a thing?

I needed to talk to some one who, who wouldn't, what? Judge me? Think I was a psycho? I know the others do. When they need some thing brutal done who do they turn to? Me. Gah, this was why I saw a shrink.

Of course I couldn't go to an ordinary shrink. No, I had to go to a shrink that wouldn't throw me in a straight jacket for talking about nightmares that involved turning in to a bear and fighting a monster from another planet that spit fireballs.

That left a Chee. He's been doing this for years. Decades. Hell, probably centuries. I could complain, bitch, about the others with out them knowing about it. I feel hate, a lot of hate, and anger, and know I'm a basket case. How the others aren't, no idea. Cassie, the peace nick, is she as messed up inside her head as I am?

"I wasn't always like this."

"I understand. War changes people. I've seen great men become warped by war. I've also seen boys, children, become great. Cowards take command and go out saving the lives of others. Large, strong men, cower in fear hiding behind children."

More psycho babble. Of course war changed people. I know though it wasn't the war with the Yeerks. No, it was some one else who was changing me. "Not until the Ellimist had us save another race of aliens. Then Crayak decided to torture me. He is always there in my sleep. Watching me, taunting me, offering me freedom."

"Freedom? In exchange for what?"

"He wants me to kill Jake. He's offered me the world if I just kill Jake. Literally, he would save the world from the Yeerks. He'd have an asteroid or some thing take out the Pool Ship. I don't know how he'd do it." I was already borderline... If I killed my cousin then I'd cross that border and become a monster.

"One life for the lives of billions. Not just human but every thing. Trillions of lives."

"I know!" I shouldn't yell. Yelling wouldn't help. "I can't do it. I'm already messed up as it is. When this war is over, if I'm still alive, I don't know if I can go back to being me. I don't even remember what I was like before. It is like trying to watch a movie with scenes missing."

"Repression, PTSD, these are all serious problems. Talking helps but you may need more."

"More?"

"Humans have discovered the benefits of drugs for thousands of years. Even before we got here. It is one of the things that brought you up from a simple animal to what you are today."

"You want to put me on drugs?"

"No. I want you to want to take a medication developed by us."

"The Chee?" He nods. "Why would you make drugs?"

"We need money. It isn't cheap running several houses and taking care of so many dogs. The medical field is the new gold mine." I see him smile. I could hear the warmth in his voice. I couldn't fake that kind of warmth if I tried and I was human. A living being. A Chee was an android. Yet he showed more warmth and love than I could even with Tobias.

"I, I could try it." If it could help me sound like he did when he talked about dogs. "Any thing to make it so I don't see Crayak in my dreams."

"For that you would need a very powerful tranquilizer. I don't feel comfortable giving you some thing like that."

"Any thing weaker?"

"Yes. Unfortunately I don't feel any thing short of a comatose state will stop you from seeing Crayak. Even then he could break through."

"Could we try tonight? I only have one more day until we get swept off to some new world. I need a good night's sleep. A night with out Crayak watching me."

I watch him tap his paper pad with a pen before he writes some thing. "Take this to the pharmacy, the small one not attached to a major chain, and we'll give you one pill. Just one. This stuff is powerful."

He rips the paper from the pad and hands it to me. "Do you wish to continue? You seemed anxious when you got here."

"Just nervous about going off planet again. It is so weird. Last time when we came back nothing had happened here. Time stopped or what ever."

"The Ellimist works in mysterious ways. He could have saved our Creators. He could have saved the Pemalites. Instead he saves others. He offers you a chance to save your planet. He never gave me the choice."

The sadness, the emotion, I didn't, couldn't feel that any more. He was an android yet he was going to cry if he could. "If he would have saved the rest of the Pemalites would you have killed your Creator?"

"If I was allowed to commit violence, if I was allowed to end a life, to save every one else on our planet and the life on it. No. I would become a monster if I killed the one who created me. I wouldn't deserve to exist. I'm sure you feel the same way about Jake."

"Yes." I had killed Jake before. In another time, dimension, I wasn't sure what it was. "I need to go. If this stuff is as powerful as you say it is I should take it early."

"Be careful. I made sure to write down that they will only give you one."

I walked out of the office building he had his practice at. To think all these people going to him for help and he wasn't even human. Then again, was I human any more? What did it mean to be human? Humans could be evil, cruel, or good and caring.

I got home from the pharmacy and took a shower before telling my little sisters I was going to bed early. "I have to get ready to get up early for school."

"Loser!"

I took the pill and curled up on my bed hoping to sleep with no nightmares for the first time in a long time.

**3**

When I woke up it was past noon. I had slept for over fourteen hours. My body hurt every where and I was starving.

Today was my last day before we went off world. Would it be to the planet with red grass and green sky? Or a totally different one? Would these things have the same rule as the Howlers had about not killing the natives? Worrying about tomorrow sapped away my appetite.

I morphed in to a Bald Eagle and took off once I made sure no one was watching.

The freedom of flying usually made it all go away. When you could float over the city, the clouds, the stress, it went away. Except the weight of the Ellimist and Crayak almost made it impossible for me to fly.

I flew out to see Tobias but he wasn't at his meadow.

If he wasn't there then he could only go one other place.

Sure enough, he was at Ax's Scoop. Ax had television. As much as Tobias was a hawk and wanted to be one, he was still human, and wanted entertainment. Maybe mind numbing television would make it go away.

(Hey.) I landed near Tobias. (What are you watching?)

(News break.)

Ax turned one of the eyes on his stalks towards me. (Your election is interrupting _these messages.)_

(Uh, sorry.) I didn't care about the election. I had a few more important things to worry about. (Tobias, want to fly?)

(Sure. How long have you been morphed?)

(I'll demorph and remorph again.) I landed and demorphed before remorphing and took off with Tobias.

We landed near his meadow and both became human. We had gotten over being around each other in skimpy clothes. It was more uncomfortable for him I'm sure holding hands as he usually didn't have any.

"Are you as scared as I am?"

That came from out of nowhere. "Scared? Of what?"

I loved seeing his smile. He rarely did it even when he was human. "If these things are as bad as Howlers, worse, what do we have that can fight them?" I shrugged my shoulders. "The Ellimist has faith in us at least."

"Screw him. Ever since we helped him Crayak has been after us. Me."

"He's also helped us as well. We've gotten better than lucky. We've done real damage. We killed members of the council. We've destroyed Kandronas. We freed Tom. We haven't had such good luck ever. The closest was what, getting the Pemalite Crystal, or stopping that dust monster. It is because of the Ellimist."

"You don't know that. We've been more active and had more help."

"The Chee help us because we wiped out the Howlers."

Tobias owed the Ellimist every thing. He could morph again and now stay past two hours. "Because of the Ellimist. If we hadn't been there because of him the Chee wouldn't help us as much now."

I didn't owe the Ellimist a damn thing. But I could see where Tobias came from. "What ever. I don't want to worry about tomorrow." I leaned over and kissed him.

It finally lifted the weight of Crayak and the Ellimist away. Under the Sun of a blue sky, on green grass, with Tobias.

We were kissing, and things, when a voice popped in to our heads. (Prince Jake has called a meeting.)

Tobias and I pulled away from each other. "Uh, ok, now?"

(Yes.)

Why couldn't he have called for a meeting tomorrow? Or later tonight? I just had to hope Ax hadn't seen any thing.

Tobias and I morphed and flew out to the barn at Cassie's farm. I couldn't figure out why he was calling a meeting. The last thing I wanted to do today was think about tomorrow.

Every one else was already there. (Tobias, please, please, tell Ax not to tell any one...)

(I've already thought of a way to explain it to him.) Had to remember Ax wouldn't understand why he shouldn't tell any one. I mean, we weren't really doing any thing just, the others, definitely Marco, didn't need to hear about it. Immature punk.

Jake was next to Cassie. I could see they were holding hands. I had demorphed but Tobias had staid in his hawk form. "I've been thinking about who we can add as our eighth member. If we can't have Erek then we need a warrior. I thought maybe a Hork Bajir but if these guys are being made to replace Howlers I'm not getting a Hork Bajir killed. Any ideas guys?"

Marco raised his hand. "Visser Three?"

(No!)

We all flinched when Ax yelled in thought speak.

"Calm down Ax-Man. Visser Three has more morphs than any of us. Also, if he gets killed, what do we care?"

Marco clearly hadn't thought this through. "And if he doesn't die? Then he knows we're human and that's that for us." His only response as to give me a dirty look. "Hey, it took me all of five seconds to realize why your idea was stupid."

Jake steps between us. "I thought of that as well but also realized who we choose doesn't have to listen to us. I've thought about getting some thing like that one eight headed monster of Visser Three that spits fireballs. Any animal or alien that could give us a chance if we acquired it. But that thing might set us on fire before we have a chance to acquire it."

"If these things are replacing the Howlers it has to be stronger and more dangerous than any thing else out there or else Crayak would just be using that." We could all hear the fear in Cassie's voice. I didn't want to be scared but when you could hear it like that it was hard to not let it creep in.

(Choose one of these new creatures, attack it as soon as it appears, and as it lays dying we acquire it. If we can harm it enough to acquire it, Prince Jake.)

"That was my other idea." Jake shook his head, slumped his shoulders, and looked defeated. If he was supposed to be our leader what were we supposed to do?

The most powerful morph any of us had was my elephant. They were big, strong, and amazingly quick for some thing their size. Their hide was thick. Maybe if we all, no, the elephant was not the most powerful morph any of us had. "Howler."

"What?"

"I choose Howler. We all get Howler morphs we might stand a chance. We've all seen what Jake could do with just one."

Marco nodded with approval. I looked up at Tobias. (These things are replacing Howlers. But you're right. Those things, Jake, didn't you say they could see the weakpoints of their opponents?)

"Yes. If, with all of us as Howlers, we could do it."

I saw my cousin Tom nod as well. "I vote yes on it. I've only seen Jake as one and well, that wasn't a battle."

"Why we shouldn't use them! They're monsters!" Of course Cassie was against it.

"That's exactly why we should use them! We know they've slaughtered every thing in their path. What ever Crayak throws at us we'll howl and rip them apart."

"I, I won't do it. You can acquire them but I won't."

"Fine, what ever. I want a Howler morph and this is probably my only chance to get it. I'm tired of Jake having this kick ass morph and refusing to use it."

"He doesn't use it because those things are monsters."

We both looked over at Jake. I already knew whose side he would take but I was right no matter what he said.

"They weren't monsters. They, they were like dolphins, so happy. They didn't now what they were doing was murder. I knew that but I still lost control. If we can control ourselves we can use the Howler morphs for good. To fight Crayak. Since they've been made peaceful it won't attack us."

"Jake, no."

He leaned down and whispered some thing to Cassie. She just turned away and walked out of the barn. "So, except for Cassie, we all agree we're getting Howler morphs."

Finally! I've watched him destroy the Yeerks. Yes he lost control and killed a few humans but in the end what did it matter? We might just stand a chance of winning this war. If, you know, Crayak's newest creation didn't exterminate us.

**4**

I woke up earlier than I wanted to. I didn't take a pill since I had only been given one and sure enough Crayak had taunted me the entire time.

But today, today I would get a chance to fight back. That's all I wanted, needed. In my dreams he was just a giant eye watching me. Now I could get my hands dirty.

I showered, enjoying the hot water, not knowing the next time I'd have the chance to experience it. I ate a bowl of cereal enjoying the milk. I hoped what ever was there we could eat and drink.

I sat in the living room watching what ever was on when time stopped. "About,"

I couldn't even finish my sentence before I was on the planet with red grass and the green sky.

_Have you chosen your eighth member?_

He had to already know. If he was as powerful as he claimed to be wouldn't he already know?

_I do. I just want to give you a chance to change your mind._

I forgot he could read our minds.

I saw Jake shake his head. "It is the only chance we have. The Howler is the most powerful morph I have. If we all have one then we might just stand a chance."

_You can choose any organic being and you choose the Howler? Very well._

The red being with bright blue eyes that was the Howler appeared next to me. It turned, saw me, and attacked.

"Get it off of me!" It was kissing me all over my face. I tried to push it off but I couldn't.

"Acquire it."

I got a hand on its chest and focused. Soon it went in to the trance that one went in to when being acquired.

The others got their hands, or talon, on the Howler and acquired it.

In the seconds it was stunned I was able to get away from it.

Marco, being Marco, had to make a joke. "Who's your new boyfriend there, Rachel? Isn't Tobias going to get jealous?"

(Shut it, Marco.)

"Ooo, already jealous."

(You're about to need a shower.)

I saw Tobias fly over him but Marco kept moving.

Cassie was the only one who wouldn't acquire it. When she held the Howler's arm she wasn't doing it to acquire him. "Now what? We, we've made the Howlers defenseless. If those things the Crayak made find him he'll be killed."

"So? It isn't,"

"Human? He's still a living being. You've never been in their mind but Jake has. He says they're like children. They never knew what they were doing was wrong."

"Then why won't you acquire it?"

"He is a sentient being. I want his permission." The Howler starts trying to kiss her.

"Is that permission?" For once I laughed a little at Marco's joke.

Jake grabs her by the arm. "Cassie, we need the strongest morphs possible. These things we're fighting are to replace Howlers."

"I know but, it," She is interrupted by the Howler trying to kiss her. "Get off of me!" She pushes on the Howler.

"Acquire it." I see the Howler go limp before she pushes it away successfully. Hypocrite.

"I'm sorry."

She was apologizing to it? "Now what do we do with it?"

"That's what I was saying! We can't let it go."

"We can't hold its hand and, hey!" Marco was now dealing with the kissing.

Jake turns towards Ax. "Ax, I hate to say this but we can't let it, get it off of me!"

Marco laughs as the Howler tries to kiss Jake. "The only one it hasn't tried to kiss is Ax."

I thought it was a stupid joke but I guess I wasn't paying attention. "He's right. The memory was of you, um, kissing me. Kissing a human. Maybe it will only kiss humans?"

(I can look after it until you find a way to deal with it.)

Now we were on a foreign planet with a Howler to babysit.

**5**

The grass was edible for Ax. There were smaller animals for Tobias to eat. The rest of us were taste testing a couple different types of berries we found. Cassie may be a pacifist in the middle of a war but she knew about surviving in the wild. "Eat one or two berries and then wait an hour. If there are no ill effects eat a couple more. Do this for the rest of the day to make sure these aren't poisonous."

So we ate the various berries and waited for ill effects. For the first day on this alien planet it wasn't very exciting. I wanted to fight. I wanted to use the Howler morph and rip these new Crayak soldiers apart. Instead we munched on some berries while Tobias flew around.

The Howler was a little annoying but it saved our life.

It was getting dark. I hadn't noticed the Sun was setting to the east until Ax pointed it out. I doubt any of us had.

The Howler must have heard some thing and walked off in to the woods we were next to. We had stuck in the grassy plains so we could hopefully see any thing before it was too close.

The next thing we heard was a scream. It was inhuman. It was the Howler.

Tobias flew towards the scream before coming back shouting in our heads. (Huge green giant monsters just ripped the Howler apart! Morph! Fly!)

"We're here to fight!" I focused on the reddish skin, the blue eyes, the changes happened quickly.

(Rachel, these things are huge and just ripped the Howler to pieces! Morph an owl and get out of there!)

"Morph birds and retreat."

The others started to sprout feathers. If I was the only one who didn't I'd be killed. I stopped morphing the Howler and demorphed before focusing on the owl in my blood.

We were up in the trees when we saw them. At least nine feet tall, covered in muscles, their green skin reminding me of the sky. (I don't think we need to worry about the natives. These are the natives.)

I wasn't the only one who noticed the skin matching the sky.

I also wasn't the only one who noticed their mouths. Filled with fangs and able to open wide enough they could swallow a beach ball in one gulp. Their bright red eyes almost glowed even as the Sun set. (Do you think they can see us?)

What the hell were we going to do? These things would tower over a Howler. Our only hope would be to use the howl and hope it crippled them long enough we could get close.

(I think they're separating. If we're lucky maybe we can ambush one.)

I flew from my branch and landed on another to see one of the monsters break the tree line. (If we can injure it enough maybe we could acquire it.)

(Wait. We don't know what powers this thing has. A Howler could cripple any thing with its howl. What could this thing do? Tobias, did you see any thing?)

(No Jake. They just, by the time I got to the Howler, they had already ripped it apart.)

We followed the monster maybe half a mile before it turned around and started walking back towards the trees. (Now's our chance!)

I landed and started to demorph. I ignored Jake telling me to stop. This might be our only chance to kill this thing.

I staid low hiding in the grass. I saw the others land. (Rachel, you could be getting us all killed.)

I couldn't respond. I had to morph before I could thought speak. Tobias had to know this was our best chance. The Ellimist chose us to fight and we would fight, now.

I started morphing the Howler. I'm not small, kinda tall actually, but I wasn't as robust as a Howler. My leotard stretched as much as it could before it ripped.

The Howler mind was surprising. Jake described it as a dolphin and he was right. How could some thing so powerful and deadly be so happy? So child like?

The monster must have heard my leotard rip and turned towards me. It roared. It was like a tiger but it didn't hurt.

I howled back. The monster didn't even flinch. This was not good. I howled again thinking I had done it wrong but it didn't work.

(This is not good.) The Howlers most powerful weapon did nothing on this thing.

The monster started to charge me. (I need help!)

A red blur attacked it from the right. I saw the monster throw off the Howler as easily as I would smack a fly.

(Every one try Howling at the same time.)

I heard one and then another and joined in.

The monster finally reacted. We howled again and I saw it fall to its knees.

(Attack!) I rushed forward and punched the monster in one of its glowing eyes. A Howler was strong, fast, and together we could kill this thing.

We moved on it like a pack of wolves attacking a wounded deer. I was lost in the bloodlust of the Howler to notice there was no blood.

The monster roared and swung an arm hitting one of the other Howlers in the chest knocking it away.

It reached out with the other massive arm and grabbed the arm of another Howler pulling. I could hear the bone pop out of the socket.

I threw punch after punch hoping to hurt the monster. (Howl!)

I don't know who said to do it but I listened and howled. The monster cringed from pain but kept fighting back. How I didn't know. When we were hit by the Howl it crippled all of us. This thing was being hurt but not like we had been.

(Watch out!) I felt some one push me before seeing a Howler with a rock.

It swung the rock hitting the monster on the skull. The sound of bone cracking was met with a roar of pain from the monster.

The Howler swung again and I saw the monsters head cave in.

I grabbed one of its arms and pulled. I ripped it from the socket before I could see the arm tear away from the shoulder completely.

We continued attacking the monster. (Stop! Stop! We need to acquire it!)

He, she? Who ever said it was right. I had to calm down and demorph so I could acquire this thing. It took all of us to kill it. Seven of us to kill one of these things. With this morph we could fight the others one on one.

I was the last to demorph. I placed my hand on the monster as it struggled to get back up and fight.

There was only one problem. "Uh, guys, I don't think I acquired it." I had placed my hand on its back but when I tried to acquire it nothing happened. You always felt a little tingle but this time there was nothing.

(I do not believe I have either. Prince Jake if you would like I could try morphing it now.)

"Go ahead Ax."

We stood and watched Ax. Nothing happened.

The monster, with one arm, was starting to get back up. "Ax, finish it."

(Yes Prince Jake.) His tail whipped forward and cut the head off.

**6**

It took all of us to weaken it. It took all of us to bring it to its knees. If there had been another one we would have lost.

Now we were huddled together too scared to sleep. Who knew if those things needed to sleep?

I was looking at the dead body. I swear it moved. When I saw it move again I couldn't help but scream.

The others looked at me like I was crazy. "It moved. The body, it moved, I swear." I started to morph. I wasn't taking any chances.

"Rachel, you're insane. It doesn't have a head any more."

When I was morphed enough I replied to Marco. (It moved. It is still moving!) I saw the arm still attached to the body reach for the head.

I grabbed the head and saw the eyes open. (It's alive!) I threw the head away from the body.

With the improved vision of the Howler I could see the body raise up. By now every one knew I was right.

I also saw that there were these vines connecting the body to the ground.

I went and attacked those vines. When the last vine was cut the body fell back to the ground.

I saw the vines move and try to reattach to the body. I grabbed them and ripped them out.

The others joined me in attacking the body again.

One of the others must have grabbed the head. The jaws moved like it was trying to bite the one holding it.

(How do you kill this thing?)

How the hell would you kill some thing that if you cut their head off it still lived? (Rip its brain out?)

(Ew.) Cassie, it was Cassie who had the head, dropped it.

I went over and looked down at it. (How do we kill you?) Its only response was to snap its jaws at me.

I kneel down and grab at the top of the head. The Howler was strong. It could rip through the scalp. This was so disgusting. We had to dissect a frog and even a cat in anatomy class but this was totally different.

Way different. I got to the bone. I used the strength of the Howler to crack it open. There was no brain inside just, some thing. I didn't know what it was. (Ax? You're our alien expert. Any idea where the brain would be?)

One of the Howlers came over. (If it is not in the cranium then I would not know. This being seems more like an organic sentient plant than an animal. It would explain why we could not acquire it.)

Whoa. (So these things are trees with mouths? What do we do with them then? Burn them?)

(Uh, that's not a bad idea Rachel. We just need some thing to set a fire with.)

(If we use the rock from earlier I could use my tail to create the spark.)

(Ok. Ax and Cassie demorph. Cassie morph an owl to make sure those other monsters don't see us while Ax makes a fire.)

It took Ax a few tries but we got the fire going. The monster went right up. I threw the head on the fire and we watched it burn.

Now we knew more about the enemy. They weren't animals. Why the howl barely worked and only when we all did it. And unless you burnt them to ash they would, I guess, regrow? Crayak had outdone himself.

I was exhausted. I don't know when I fell asleep but I did.

**7**

When I woke up the Sun was high above. "How long was I out?"

"Awhile." I turned and saw Cassie had a bunch of berries. "Hungry?"

"Yes." I grabbed a handful and stuffed them in my mouth.

"So ladylike."

I tried to tell Marco to shut up but my mouth was full.

After eating Jake called a meeting. "These things are I guess plant based. If we could set the whole forest on fire we might get them."

"Or if we had that eight headed monster that spit fireballs..."

"Shut up Marco." Now I could say it.

"It took all of us as Howlers just to hurt it. If there had been another one there we'd be dead. If we could spit fire we'd have a chance."

"How would we acquire it before we were cooked alive?" It was nice to hear Tom defend Jake. He barely spoke since we'd freed him. Almost like he was afraid to. He couldn't speak freely for years. Who knows what kind of psychological damage had been done to him.

(It would not be feasible to set the woods on fire Prince Jake. It would take a dry season or two for the trees and underbrush to be dry enough for what little spark I could create to set the forest ablaze.)

Jake looked at us. "Any ideas?"

"Hope they keep splitting up so we can take them out one by one?"

(I doubt that Marco. We got lucky once.)

"Make a flame thrower?"

(No weapons are allowed.)

"By them. We weren't allowed to have a Chee but they weren't allowed to have weapons. We can." I never would have caught that. This is one reason why I wasn't the leader and Jake was. "Except I have no idea how to make a flamethrower."

(I have read many of your books and noted several fire making techniques and different ways to apply the fire. Napalm seemed very effective, Prince Jake.)

"No idea how to make it. I doubt there is a gas station on this planet either. We have to cripple them before we can set them on fire."

"Which means getting close." I saw when Cassie got closer to Jake she held his hand. I looked up and saw Tobias flying around in a lazy circle keeping watch. I couldn't hold his hand.

We walked back towards the woods. Except for Tobias we all morphed wolves. (Any one smell any thing weird?)

(Every thing Tobias. No way to tell what is them and what is just random alien world smell.)

We ran through the forest as a pack and found nothing. As big as they were they were good at hiding. Or we were just bad hunters.

Before dark Jake had us stop and chose who would sleep and who would stay awake. I volunteered and so did Tobias. "What do we do?"

(I don't know Rachel. One down seven to go.)

"Think the reason why Crayak didn't want us bringing a Chee wasn't because he wanted some one who could feel pain but because a Chee could crush these guys? They're plants not animals."

(Maybe. If we had known what these things were maybe we would have been better off trying to acquire that fire spewing monster of Visser Three.)

"Before or after it turned you in to light meat and me in to dark meat?"

(Before.)

We kept talking as it started to rain.

The rain came down heavier and heavier. The others woke up before the first crack of lightning was followed by a boom of thunder. "That was really close."

I was huddled under a tree trying to stay dry. "At least we're not out on the plains. We'd be easy targets."

"Ha, death by the elements and not by alien monsters. How ironic would that be?"

(I don't think that would be ironic Marco.)

I saw a bolt of lightning. It was more greenish than those on Earth. The thunder sounded the same.

The rain and thunder hide the noise of seven monsters coming. If Ax couldn't look around at all times we would have been butchered.

(They're here!)

(No, uh, wolves! Too wet for flying.)

Jake was right. We had to run, not fly, away.

I started running even before I had morphed. When I fell forward it was because my hips shifted to that of a wolf and not a human.

As soon as I could again I started running.

I knew the others were with me but where were we going? (Do we go to the plains?)

(We're small and low to the ground. I think we'll be safe.)

We listened to Jake and ran for the plains.

The grass whipped at my face as more and more rain fell. My fur was getting soaked but a wolf could run and run for miles. I've thought about getting a cheetah morph before. To be that fast would be amazing but they didn't have the stamina of a wolf.

There were at least five of the monster behind us. Five was about three more than needed to kill us. Even as wolves, hell, as wolves one could probably kill us all.

A bright flash almost blinded me. I could smell burnt fur. Was it mine? No, I was still running. Was some one else hit? (Was any one hit?!)

(It was close but I'm fine.) Tom, he was the one I was smelling.

(Just keep running and hope these things get tired before we do!)

So we did. Farther in to the sea of grass. How far did it go? I was too low to the ground to see over the grass.

There was another lightning strike close to us and then another. I heard some thing scream. It wasn't a wolf. (I think one of them was hit!)

One of the others stopped and turned to look. (It was! He's on fire. I think the others are trying to put it out.)

We started to stop and look as well when Jake yelled. (Just run. Forget about them and run.)

And so run more we did. We ran, and ran, and ran until our time limit was running out. As soon as we demoprhed we remorphed and continued running.

The grass sea ended at a series of valleys. We ran down in to the nearest one as fast as we could.

There was a cave we ran in to. It was deep and dark and by the time we stopped we couldn't see the entrance.

We demorphed and huddled together in the cave. I heard crying. I heard more crying followed by more. We were tired, our muscles hurt from all of the running, and we were terrified.

The Ellimist chose us for this. He said he thought we could do this. He was wrong. We were going to die. When we died Earth would be lost to the Yeerks. The Andalites would show up and unleash the Quantum Virus killing most of the hosts. Most of the humans.

I joined the others in crying.

**8**

We all fell asleep, eventually. When I woke up I didn't know what time it was. I didn't know if it was day or night. We were so far in the cave we couldn't see the outside.

Crayak wasn't there when I slept. Was that part of the rules? He couldn't taunt me while we did this? I hoped so. We were all messed up as it was I didn't need him doing any thing else to me.

Ax was the first to leave the cave. (I believe we are alone and the water appears clean.)

The rest of us followed him out and saw the river flowing in front of us. It was then I realized just how thirsty I was.

I went to the river and used my hands like cups to get the water to my mouth. It wasn't enough so I just stuck my face in to the river.

I wasn't the only one. When I pulled my head up from the river I saw the others were doing the same. Even Tobias.

After a few minutes of drinking I rolled on to my back and looked up at the sky. The green sky was foreign yet comforting. It almost let me forget the horror of the situation.

I turned my head and saw Tobias preening his feathers. If his feathers were dirty it would be harder for him to fly.

I looked down at myself. I was covered in dirt and sure if I paid attention smelled. "I need a bath."

Tom splashes water on his face. "We all do."

"Communal bath?"

Cassie and I both glared at Marco. "I think Cassie and I will go downstream." I got up and started walking.

Cassie followed me until the river took a turn and we'd be hidden. "Too bad we can't have a lookout."

I heard Cassie laugh. "Ax wouldn't care. Or understand." She dipped under the water. I could see the cloud of dirt and grime float above where she had gone under.

I went under and scrubbed at my hair as best as I could. I knew I'd have the same cloud of dirt above me so I swam a little off to the side.

After washing myself and my leotard I got dressed and waited for Cassie.

She started walking back when I grabbed her arm. "You don't know they're done yet."

"Oh, right."

I saw the smile on her face. "You just want to see Jake,"

"No!" I started laughing. "Shut up I wasn't even thinking about that."

"Then why were you smiling?"

She just looked away and told me not to tell Jake.

We waited a few more minutes before going back up the river.

The others were thankfully done washing up.

We sat around next to the river. "Now what?"

We just looked at Jake. None of us knew what to do next.

We didn't even know for sure if the monster struck by lightning had been killed.

Tobias and Ax went around looking for food for the rest of us.

We had clean water and the cave let us hide. The few berries we had weren't filling but kept us alive.

I was sitting with my feet in the water when I saw a fish. As much as one could call it that. It was more like an eel. "Guys, uh, guys?"

Tom looked over and saw it. Since he was standing he had a better view of it. "Uh, lunch guys? Ax, think you could kill it?"

(Yes.)

We watched Ax walk in to the water a few feet before striking with his tail. Blood filled the water as Tom and I grabbed the eel thing from the water.

It was much heavier than it looked. I hoped that meant it had more meat on it.

Now we had a new problem. We didn't know how to skin a fish. Scale a fish? Tom was brave enough to hold it while Ax used his tail blade to try and get the scales off.

We ate what we could. We ignored that this thing was alien. We ignored the alien world around us. We ignored the mission we had been sent on. How long could we do this? We were all too scared to leave this little valley.

But we would have to. We had to kill those monsters Crayak made. It was the only way we could make it back home.

If we could make it back home.

**9**

Tobias and I flew out of the valley. We flew towards where we had come from.

The monsters weren't any where we could see them.

We did see the corpse of the one struck by lightning. The vines were in the ground. It was recovering. We had to kill it for good.

(Tobias, fly back and get the others. I'll tear the vines out and make sure it doesn't recover any more than it already has.)

I landed and demorphed. I didn't think it was safe to stay human so morphed in to a Howler.

I ripped the vines out a couple of times before the others made it. (It was struck by lightning and can still come back? Man, I'm glad we're down two of them now.) I watched Marco demorph.

(That still leaves six.)

"So? We've killed two in two days. I think we're doing pretty good."

We waited for Ax to use his tail and a rock to set the monster on fire. I stood and watched it burn. I lost track of time and where I was watching it. It took Cassie hitting me to snap me out of it so I could demorph.

We went back to the valley and hid for a couple of days. We killed an eel when ever we had a chance. Tobias would fly overhead keeping watch for us.

It wasn't the worst life one could have on an alien world. It could almost be like a camping trip except we had six monsters left.

Tobias saw two of them coming towards the valley. We could run or we could fight. I of course chose fight. "We were sent here to fight these things."

Cassie disagreed. "We can barely fight one let alone two. We need to hide."

"And if they find us in the cave? We'll be trapped."

I was surprised when Marco chose both sides. "We hide in the cave and lure them in there. Those things are so big only one could get in there at a time. We lure them in and fight them one at a time."

Tom was the first one to point out a flaw. "Brilliant plan except we'd be two wide at best in Howler morphs."

"If we all howl, the echo in the cave, heck it might intensify it. We fight them one at a time. That or we suicide mission this and hope for the best like we normally do."

"Marco's right. We lure them in to the cave. Marco and I will fight them first."

"Jake, it, this is too dangerous. What if the howling causes the cave to collapse?"

"Even better. We lure them in there then seal the cave off. If they do get out hopefully they'll be tired or too weak to fight us."

"Lets do it!" I started to morph.

As soon as I could I contacted Tobias. (Lure them down here. We're trapping them in the cave.)

(How?)

(Uh,) I hadn't thought of that. (We'll figure it out. Just get them down here.)

Soon Tobias flew down towards us. I saw the two giant green monsters right behind him.

Thankfully he could fly down faster than they could climb.

I howled getting their attention. One reached down and grabbed a rock and threw it at me. (Doesn't that count as a weapon?) The monster roared at me as it grabbed another rock. (I guess not.)

I ran for the cave entrance and the two chased after me. I went inside and ran as fast as a Howler could.

The brutes had to slump down to fit and were even slower than when they had climbed down. It gave me plenty of time to demorph and remorph in to a fly and leave the two monsters inside.

(I'm out!)

The others howled and attacked the walls. It didn't take long for the roof to collapse locking the monsters inside.

I demorphed and looked at the cave in. "Now what?"

(If these monsters are plant based then one would assume that they need the Sun for energy. With out sunlight they should die.)

"Should Ax Man. I don't think we should stick around to find out."

(I've looked up and down the valley and didn't see any other caves.

(So have I. I think we need to leave this valley and look for another one, fast. I don't see any more of them but we can't be too safe.)

We morphed birds and left our little home with two of the monsters trapped inside.

We flew a couple miles before landing. The valley we found had a smaller river and no caves but was lined with berry bushes. We ate and rested hoping we would be safe.

**10**

We checked on the collapsed cave a few times a day over the next three days. The monsters never came out.

We had four more to go. We had four more monsters that could kill us unless we tricked them or got them alone.

Meat and berries. Meat and berries. No cheese, no milk, no bread, just meat and berries. Even Cassie caved and started eating meat when she was getting sick.

If we kept this up we'd probably die from malnutrition. We had to find and kill these things.

I got Jake alone. "We can't keep this up. We have to kill the last four. We'll never go home unless we do."

"I know. I've been thinking of a way to do that. Waiting for another thunder storm might take too long and we can't control the lightning. Tobias has been looking for other caves and found none so we can't try that trick again."

"Why not make weapons? We can use them. Spears or some thing."

"Against those things? We'd need full automatic tanks."

"We have Howler morphs. When we get back we can end the Yeerks."

"How? Full out attack? And when Visser Three decides he doesn't need to use a secret invasion? The Council gave the order for a secret invasion. With half of it destroyed and the civil war going on he might ignore those orders if we press him too hard."

"Then what are we doing? I thought we were fighting to win."

"I'm fighting to live. Until the Andalite fleet shows up."

"And when they use a Quantum Virus on us? If we're good we can take the Pool Ship, reveal it, and prepare ourselves."

"The Andalite fleet isn't the enemy. Ax says,"

"Ax says _yes Prince Jake._ What will his people say?"

"This isn't the time for this Rachel. We'll worry about this once we're back on Earth."

"If we make it back."

"We will. As long as we play it safe."

"Safe? We're fighting against these monsters made by Crayak. We got picked for what ever reason and now we have to risk our lives not for Earth but for some random race of aliens of the Ellimist."

"If we keep him happy maybe he'll help us again."

"Maybe." I walked away before morphing in to a bird and taking off.

I needed to get away. Flying was the best way. The freedom of flight. With out it I didn't know what I would do.

Flying with Tobias helped it go away. The anger, the rage, and the fear. A Bald Eagle didn't feel fear. It was the king of the air.

On the ground was a group of monsters that would rule any where. With out weapons that is. If we had flame throwers or missile launchers we might have stood a chance. The power to morph was an incredible weapon. I'd take a flame thrower or a Dracon Beam over that right now.

We landed and I demorphed. "Tobias, can you morph?"

(It isn't safe. I need my eyes.)

"Do you see them now?"

(No.)

"Then they aren't close."

I saw him land and soon he became human. It was the first time since coming to this planet that he had. I hugged him. I started to cry. I didn't want to but it just came out of me as soon as I hugged him.

I hoped we weren't going to die. I had to tell myself we weren't going to die. But facing these things... Crayak made them. He made them to be monsters. They were. I'm sure they were even more powerful and dangerous with weapons. If the Ellimist hadn't made the rule of no weapons, for them, we'd probably be dead.

When I stopped crying I kissed him. "Thank you. Don't, please don't tell the others."

"I won't. Of course I won't."

**11**

We spent the rest of the day looking for Crayak's monsters. We didn't see them.

When we flew back we saw the others were trying to cook another eel thing. "There's the two love birds."

(Shut up Marco.)

"Whoa, bird boy isn't in the mood today."

(Neither am I.) I was still a Bald Eagle. I could hurt Marco.

"Sorry. You know I'm the one who has to tell jokes."

(No one voted for that.) I landed and demorphed.

I tore at the meat with my teeth. It was tough and dry but it was food. No, it wasn't food. It was all we had to sustain us but it wasn't food.

"We can't keep doing this. We have to end this soon." I didn't even realize I said it out loud at first.

"How? Those things, alone we can win, more than that and we're dead."

"I don't know how Cassie. The Howler, gah, one of them versus all of us could have killed us. These new soldiers could probably kill them one on one. The howl did little to nothing. It took all of us just to make it flinch.

(If we could discover a way to set the forest on fire then we might be able to flush them out. If separated we could strike.)

"Great idea Ax. I'll just use my mom's credit card and buy a few hundred gallons of gas."

(There more than one way to set a fire Rachel.) Even I couldn't miss the annoyance in Ax's thought speak.

"Fine, let me get some twigs and a couple of sticks and start rubbing them together."

(If there were another storm we could find a way to draw the lightning to a tree and start a fire. There may be metal deposits in the mountains east of here.) I shrugged my shoulders. (Prince Jake says we should try it starting tomorrow.)

"How long will this take? We have maybe another week of eel and berries before we feel too sick to fight." They knew I was right. We were all feeling weak.

"It's a plan Rachel. Better than us trying to fight those things and getting killed."

"The Ellimist chose us to fight those things. He didn't vote for us to sit around and dig at rocks."

(And when do you do what the Ellimist does?)

I couldn't fight the smile. Tobias knew how much I hated the Ellimist. "I don't." I took another bite of eel. "Fine, lets play mine for metal tomorrow."

I fell asleep with a stomach full of eel and berries. I saw Crayak watching me. It was the first time since we came here. "What do you want? You watch, you taunt, but you never fight me. Coward!"

_Coward? You are dead you just don't realize it._

What did he...

My eyes opened. I heard footsteps. "Wake up!"

My mind was clouded with sleep but I started to morph.

(I'm awake.)

When I was morphed enough I replied. (Then how did they get so close?)

I didn't realize how dark it was. No moon to help Tobias see.

(Morph! I can't howl until you morph.)

My Howler eyes could see them. All four of them. They were almost on top of us. (I'll distract them.)

I ran up the valley and made sure to make noise.

I heard the roars. They were coming after me.

I ran and jumped to the top of the valley before turning around. I howled and saw the monsters ignore it. I did see they were moving in a straight line.

I waited until they got closer before leaping from the top and kicking the lead monster in the chest.

It tipped over backwards and fell in to the one behind it. Both fell in to the next who fell in to the next.

The four tumbled back down the valley towards the others.

I ran after them hoping the others would be morphed.

I saw the four monsters crash at the bottom and leapt nearly twenty feet to land on top of one. Its jaws opened and tried to bite me. I howled right at it and grabbed it by the head. (Die!) I twisted and pulled until the head came free from the body.

Now the Howler bloodlust was going. My bloodlust was going. I threw the head in the river and looked to see which monster I would attack next.

I saw two Howlers on one of them. Another grabbed a Howler by the arm and lifted them off the ground. (Let them go!) I tackled the monster and aimed for the arm holding the Howler.

It threw the Howler down before grabbing me by the leg and throwing me easily thirty feet up the valley.

When I recovered I saw another monster pound one of the Howlers in to the ground with a big fist.

We were losing. (Howl!) I howled but only one other joined me.

I saw another Howler thrown in to the river.

I grabbed a rock and threw it at the monster pounding the Howler in to the ground. It turned and roared at me. (Come get me!)

It took a couple steps before the Howler it had been pounding on got up. (I'm tougher than I look Rachel.)

(Don't act tough now Marco.)

(Then I won't act.) I saw him grab another rock. It looked like it had been broken and had a jagged edge.

He stabbed the monster from behind. It turned and grabbed the arm that held the rock. Even from where I was I heard the bones crack and break.

I howled and Marco howled. The monster flinched and let go of his arm.

Another monster hit Marco from behind. With his broken arm he couldn't catch himself.

I saw a monster grab a Howler by the head and start to twist.

I saw another monster pick up a rock and hold it over its head. (You can't use a weapon!) It blinked out of existence.

Not it was down to two of them. (If we can make them use weapons they'll disappear!)

(They don't need weapons!)

My cousin Tom, which one was him? I didn't know. I just attacked.

There were two left. It was one too many.

I howled, a couple others did, it made the monsters flinch but little else.

I saw one Howler on the ground not moving. I saw another half in the water also not moving. Were they dead? I hoped not.

One monster held a Howler under the water. I jumped on his back and aimed for its eyes.

It tried to throw me off but I held on tightly with one arm while punching with the other. I thought I might actually be hurting it when a fist caught me square in the chest knocking me off.

It turned and stomped on my chest. It leaned down and roared. I howled back.

It punched me several times. I couldn't fight back. I was going to die unless some one saved me.

No one would. The others were hurt, unconscious, maybe worse. I howled again hoping it would do something. Make the monster back off. It didn't.

I felt the ground get wet. Was it my blood? It felt awfully cold for blood.

The wetness got higher and higher when I realized it was water. Where was it coming from?

I never saw it. I don't think the monsters did either. A wall of water came through the valley and washed us all downstream.

I was able to grab on to the branch of a tree. I didn't know where the others were.

When the water receded I looked for the others.

Instead I found one of the monsters. It looked hurt and I attacked. I went for the head.

It stabbed me with some thing. Not its fist but a rock. (Weapon!) It disappeared.

I was bleeding now. I was hurt, weak, tired, and must have been near my time limit. I had to demorph.

My DNA wasn't damaged so the bleeding stopped. I was still weak and tired but I wasn't bleeding. I had to focus on the good things.

I remorphed the Howler as soon as I could. My mind and body were ready to give up but my heart wasn't.

I found another Howler and shook them. They didn't move. (Wake up! Please, please wake up.) I shook them again but still nothing.

(Rachel?)

I looked around and saw Ax. He had demorphed. (Are you ok?)

(I think so. I found Prince Jake, Cassie, and Marco.) He walked over and saw the Howler I was with. (Who is this?)

(I don't know.) I could hear the breathing. They were alive they just wouldn't wake up. If it was Tobias it would be ok. He could stay morphed longer than two hours. If this was Tom he'd be trapped forever.

I hit the Howler twice, three times, before finally the eyes opened. (Demorph.)

He didn't answer. He started to change and demorphed in to Tom. "Ow. What happened?"

(I don't know.)

We met back up with the others. Tobias was with them now. "Rachel, go ahead and demorph. You must be close to the limit."

(I already did and remorphed. I got rid of one of the monsters when it used a weapon on me.)

"Which means we have one more to go."

(Two. I ripped the head off one but we didn't destroy the body.)

"Good luck setting a fire to any thing now." Marco leans against a rock. "I think our howling caused the flood."

(How?)

"Probably a small dam up the valley. Our howls bounce around the valley and cause the dam to shift. Water comes in, wipes the monsters out, and the Animorphs climb up the spout again."

(We should find the one that is missing its head and destroy it before it recovers.)

I saw Jake sit on a rock. "Rachel, we're all tired." He leans back a little and I notice him looking at Cassie. "But you're right. We have to make sure it doesn't recover. Owl morphs."

I remained in the Howler morph while the others became owls.

**12**

We found it and destroyed it. I finally demorphed when the others looked and didn't see the last monster.

We went up the side of the valley and collapsed. I had gotten maybe a couple hours of sleep and after the morphing and fighting I was lucky I had made it up the valley.

The heat of the Sun woke me up. I saw Ax was up and walking around on the grass.

The others were still sleeping. "Ax, how long have you been up?"

(I have not yet slept. I know you and the others needed sleep.)

"Then, go to sleep. I'll keep watch."

(Thank you Rachel.)

Eventually the others woke up and I told them why Ax was still sleeping.

We had lost our camp twice now. We had lost the berries we had saved up. We wouldn't starve in the next few hours and we weren't looking forward to foraging for more. We would though. We had to.

I was flying with Tobias when we saw the monster. It had changed. It had four arms now.

When we got closer we saw why. We found the body of the monster that I killed by ripping the head off. We hadn't found the head that I threw in the river. This monster had and attached it to its chest.

It was even taller now, easily twenty feet, and even more muscular. We could barely kill them when they weren't like this. (Tobias, warn the others.)

(Don't attack it.)

(I won't. Yet.) I'd wait for the others. I had to.

I landed at the top of a tree so I could keep an eye on the monster and see when the others were coming.

The monster was moving towards my friends faster than I thought and I had to fly to keep after it. Tobias would reach them first since he was flying but would we have enough time to plan? What plan could stop this thing? Jake would figure one out, I hoped.

I kept flying and didn't see the others. Where were they? There were rocks and trees in this valley. Good for hiding but I should still be able to see them. I was a Bald Eagle.

The monster went around a bend in the river and I lost sight of it.

I flew around and saw a rhino. (What are you doing?)

(Watch.) It was Jake.

Jake stepped out from a group of bushes and the monster saw it. It roared at Jake.

I saw Jake start to run. For such a large animal the rhino was pretty quick. The horn was a good weapon against any animal it faced in Africa. This monster was deadlier than any lion or leopard.

Jake slammed in to the monster knocking it backwards.

I heard the sound of rocks falling and looked to see three Howlers were pushing boulders down at the monster.

The monster saw the rocks and moved out of the way. (Ok every one, run!) I saw Jake turn and run back up the valley.

The monster was close behind him and gaining.

Jake made it past a rock and that's when I saw the blue blur that was Ax's tail cutting the monster on the leg.

The monster fell with the severed foot left behind.

(What are you doing?!)

(Keep going up the valley. All these rivers come from the same lake.)

I turned and saw an Osprey. It was Marco. (So?)

(We have a plan.)

I looked down and saw a wolf running away from where the Howlers had been. Behind it were two more keeping back to protect it just in case the monster saw them.

(What plan?)

(Uh, Jake isn't sure. We're to lure the monster to the lake. He and Cassie saw it when they were looking for a new camp.)

What ever his plan was I hoped it worked. I could see the monster grab the severed foot and place it back on the stump of the leg it had been attached to before. I also saw how the skin reformed and soon the toes wiggled. You could cut these things apart and they could just put themselves back together.

Jake demorphed and remorphed in to a wolf as the monster started chasing after him again.

I got to the lake before Jake and saw two wolves. Where was the third one?

I saw the Osprey that was Marco. I flew closer to him. (Any idea what is going on?)

(Nope. Just trust in Big Jake that he has an idea.)

Trust, hope, two words I had to rely on a lot even though I didn't believe in them.

The monster made it to the lake and I saw Jake demorph. "Hey! You big freak! Come and get me!" He turned and ran to the water diving in.

The monster raced after him. (Maybe they can't swim and Jake's trying to drown it?)

The monster was almost waist deep in the water when I saw the dolphin fin. Jake had become a dolphin. Which was good for swimming but fighting this thing?

The monster reached for Jake but he was too fast. He went off to the side. Why was he sticking close to the beach? He should go deeper.

Some birds of prey hunt mice. Others fish. I was a Bald Eagle and they ate a lot of fish. They were good at seeing through water. I saw some thing the monster clearly didn't.

It wasn't the largest animal in the world but it was the biggest any of us had. A humpback whale.

It breached through the water as gracefully as a dancer. It turned in the air and landed on the monster. (Did I get it?)

(Yes, yes you did Cassie.) She had done it! She had killed the final monster. She had crushed it like an insect. (Good job.)

I landed and demorphed. The others demorphed as well except for Cassie who staid partially above the water while still on top of the monster. (Tell men when twenty minutes have passed Ax.)

(Four minutes of your minutes have already passed. Do I count twenty more from then or from now?)

(From when I first flattened this monster.)

(You now have fifteen of your minutes.)

We stood and watched. To be so close to a whale was amazing. She was partially in the water but the part sticking out was massive. I thought I was big and strong with my elephant morph. That was a flew to this thing.

**13**

When twenty minutes passed Cassie demorphed and swam to shore. "Now what?"

The weird bird being thing that was the Ellimist appeared._ You've done it._

"Yeah, we did." And now some other race would be saved instead of us even though we did all the work.

_Not all of the work. I made sure they couldn't use weapons. _

I forgot he could read minds. "Because we couldn't have Erek with us."

_I think it is obvious now why Crayak did not want you bringing a Chee. Of course I was a little disappointed when you chose a Howler as your eighth._

"It was the most powerful creature we could think of that wouldn't kill us before we could acquire it."

_That may be true Jake. But I am more powerful than any thing you could acquire._

"What?" I was confused as the rest.

_Crayak worded it that you could choose any organic being. It may not appear so but I am not a machine. You could have chosen me._

My anger, my rage, weeks of therapy out the window. "You bastard! You could have ended this the second it started!"

_If you had chosen me but you didn't._

"We didn't know we could choose you." I heard the anger in Jake's voice. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

_I said any. It is not my fault you did not choose me._

"Aaaa!" I started running at him. I could have morphed a Howler or elephant but no, I wanted to use my hands on him, and, "Hey!" I was suspended in the air.

_Attacking me will do you no good. I am sorry you did not catch my subtle hints but I could not volunteer as it would not be your choice then. The rules were very specific._

Marco started to laugh. I didn't get what was so funny. "We should have read the fine print better. When you look back at it he was really wanting us to choose him."

The Ellimist set me back down. I walked back to the others knowing there was nothing I could do to hurt him.

_You have done well again. The races you have saved will save others. Crayak will have to wait to make new shock troops._

"Just not us." I crossed my arms and glared at him daring him to correct me.

_Not directly._

**14**

I blinked. When my eyes opened I was at home, in bed, and it was dark.

School would start in about six hours. I should sleep. I didn't.

I took a long, hot, shower and went downstairs to stuff myself with any thing that wasn't berries or eel meat. I drank soda, juice, milk, any thing that wasn't water.

I went to the couch and turned the television on. I didn't care what was on just that I could watch it. The couch, not some grass or floor of a cave, was like a cloud and soon I passed out.

When my mom woke me up I may have said a couple things I shouldn't have. "I'll let it go this time since you're just waking up."

"Sorry." I went upstairs and brushed my teeth. To think, I just fought some monsters for a week or so. Yet here on Earth only a few hours passed. Now I was going to school. Why was school the weirdest part of my life?

I saw the others at lunch and sat with them. "School food." I poked at the so called salisbury steak with my fork. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see and eat it."

"I'm just glad we all made it back." I couldn't see but if I could I'd bet that Cassie was holding Jake's hand under the table.

"We do the work and get no reward."

"Not directly. Remember to read the fine print Rachel. If we had we would have spent all of five seconds on that world."

I wanted to yell at Marco but he was right. The Ellimist and Crayak played by rules and deals. If we had paid attention better we would have chosen him. I wouldn't, we wouldn't, have the DNA of the Howler in our veins.

After school I went to the Chee. I had to get every thing out of my head. "We have the Howlers in our blood now. We can use them to fight the Yeerks."

"And how do you propose that to go? Seven Howlers versus the Yeerk Empire?"

"I don't know. If we went full out against the Yeerks then Visser Three might decide on full out war. Unless we could get to the Pool Ship itself. If we destroyed it some how then maybe it would end the war. There might be some Yeerks on Earth but with out the life line of the Pool Ship they'd be crippled."

"What stops you from doing this?"

"The others would never go for it. They'd say I was insane. But weren't we all a little insane after all of this?"

"There are varying degrees of sanity. You are no more or less sane than a soldier who has seen the ravages of war. Many never cope with it. You are at least trying."

"I guess."

I was there to talk but I was so lost in my own head. Jake was waiting for the Andalites. I used to before I found out their little exterminataus plan. Wait for the Yeerks to concentrate their forces on Earth and then unleash a Quantum Virus. They weren't going to save us they were going to exterminate us.

Maybe we shouldn't destroy the Pool Ship. We might need it to save ourselves from the Andalites.

If we lived long enough. Gah, now that we were back on Earth we had to worry about that stupid energy detector of the Yeerks. Maybe it would be worth it to kill Jake.

"Would I be able to cope with killing my cousin even if it saved Earth?"

"That is a question I do not have an answer to."

I didn't know the answer either. I wanted to fight, I was good at fighting, but could I fight Jake? Or would I kill him when he wasn't looking? I couldn't think about it. If I did the idea would fester in my mind. I might slip up and actually do it. Then Crayak would win and as much as I hated the Ellimist I hated Crayak more.

**A/N This may be the longest one yet! A look in to the deteriorating mind of Rachel. Crayak torturing her in her sleep. Thinking about how easy it would be to just end the war with killing Jake. Or fight the Yeerks with the Howlers and hope it didn't lead to open war. **

**I liked the idea of a plant based monster. Pretty much just Orks from Warhammer just a little taller, stronger, and more plant like. Anyways, again, sorry for the long, Looooong, delay between updates and don't expect another one for who knows how long.**


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